- in the name of Allah -



Just having come back from Umrah, I am reminded of a few things. First, one never knows how much something is missed until it's no longer there. Second, the things we take for granted are often some of the things most worth thinking about. Third, spirituality in life is centered around finding a concrete middle path, not necessarily a high/low curve. Fourth, one's friends are oftentimes the bricks by which we construct the outline of living; that is, not in defining life but making inroads into progressing towards a better state. Fifth, and perhaps most importantly, Islam has no classes, modes, no extreme/moderate/liberal classifications: it is whole, complete, and free of error; only the preferences and desires of people lead them to one end or the other, though the best path will always be the middle.

I missed being in the States. Can you imagine that? I couldn't, until I left here and went to a 'developing' country overseas. Simply put, the believers living in America are blessed, and tried by those blessings in the same token. Remember the favors Allah has bestowed upon you!..before there should come a time where you remember what it's like to live without a home, or without a family, or without a dependable means of sustenance. The ills of this society are what we must change: it is not that by leaving the land in which we were born (or led to..I speak only to the ~18-24 generation) that we will find peace, but it is by trying to perfect the land we are living that we can be satisfied, insomuch as it is possible knowing our own weaknesses and shortcomings. It is clear enough that of what Allah has prohibited for mankind, we have to find ways to bring that light of understanding to the places where we live. Why? Because if we cannot find our true form here, our true purpose here first, then we will not find it anywhere else. It follows that before we seek to correct the ills of the society at large, the shortcomings of our own selves need first be addressed, again, insomuch as humanly possible. We cannot advise against usury, while bearing usury-bearing bank accounts. We cannot advise against the proliferation of indecency while immersing our selves and our families in such a state. We cannot advise a people to do good, while our own examples betray our advice. The self is, and always has been, the primarily necessitated focus that every conscientious individual must bear, as a burden meant not to bring us down, but to bring the moral and spiritual state of this country higher.

- in the name of Allah -



After the events of the past few days, I wonder: what is the purpose of pain in life? Is it in fact the means by which weakness leaves the body? Is it the defining characteristic of each individual's life, their attitude towards it? My molar was removed a few days ago, and in the 4 hours following it, before taking any medication, I experienced such a pain as one I have never recollected having before. It's intensity led me to ponder over a number of things. First was the 'worth' of life under such duress; could it, should it be possible, tolerable? Interestingly, the second question led me to the opposite direction: how life is made more worthwhile through the pain that is endured (as patiently as possible that is). If the purpose of pain is to make us stronger, why is it that so many seek to avoid it at all costs? Is this avoidance of pain in itself a weakness? It could be said that this is a product of the times, of the industrial age, where manual labor loses its respect. Concurrently, work that maximizes return for minimal effort is granted an ever higher place in society. Trends such as these are the beginning blocks of the normalization of failure, that start the trickling effect that compounds decadence and ignorance, making the melting pot no longer a melting pot, but a vent of volcanic steam.

- in the name of Allah -



you can't vanquish the vilified, for their eyes have already been marked closed as the curtains rise, so even though light shines, the rest of day for them is as truth becoming lies. teleport and apparate, jump the skies that planes have navigated, just find a wormhole where time isn't a crushing darkness of the necessitated. chained and bound even though the mouth is open there is no sound, only waves of empathy lost in translation as runes of mystics blurred by speech and linguistic irregularity. caves and pyramids hold the buried treasures, but without explorers the knowledge is as good as nonexistent, just another repercussion of carelessness gone irrevocably rampant. seize the blades before the sieves split open, revealing fate's nameless tokens and suddenly everything visualized becomes lost to the seasons. fill the empty basins with air, but still the pensieve's mist is more substantial so in effect what your putting in isn't really there. like Snape lamented the one part that was his to be played for the world to be saved, I'm reminded that saviors come in many colors and stripes, that even though I want to be a white knight, perchance blue and green may suit me more until falls this curtain of dreams. alas, it's then I can't see myself, my own reflection, not in the mirror of Erised, but that of Hturt, for the wavelengths might be abrogated, stuck in sub-warp speed leaving the image a vision in wonder and question serenaded. flee, flee to the chariot of apathy, take your courtier of courtesy to the shores of antiquity. my bird hasn't yet arrived, but you shall know when it has, made of flames, it doesn't burn but lights the path, awaiting the moment I yield the sword while myself a silver-green hue screaming 'there's none but One', in justice giving the hordes their due.

- in the name of Allah -



In case some of you haven't caught some of the recent news, I've posted it here:

1. United States sending more aid to Israel
2. United States selling major arms and equipment to Saudia Arabia and other Arab countries in the region
3. United States and Israel vow to support Abbas

In case the meaning of the above points is lost, I'll clarify. Essentially, the U.S. government will be doing what it has been doing for the past century or so: selling arms to 2+ factions in a tense region, and basically letting the warring parties finish each other off. What's interesting from the second point is that the U.S. government assures Israel that it will have top priority in the region in terms of technology and funding, so no matter whatever is given/sold to its neighbors, it remains ahead in the massacres to come. The third point is interesting because Abbas is probably the least (democratically...oh the irony..) popular puppet "representing" the Palestinian people, so essentially not only is Israel supported light years ahead in terms of finances and weaponry, but the side of the Palestinian people being supported is bound to self destruct and cause more in fighting within the Occupied Territories themselves. So what does all of this mean, together? It's a little veiled effort to, essentially, vaporize one of the cores of the Ummah (Jerusalem / Masjid Al-Aqsa). When did things become so bad, that the government felt it was giving off the imitation of fairness by even bothering to release articles like these, affirming what people on the 'in' already knew? I should add, the arms are aimed at hope that the Arab countries finish off Iran first before themselves and each other. This is no fair fight, there is no care for humanitarian crises, only more planning for massive bloodshed and catastrophic instability in a region that's been externally racked by it for decades. How can we preach justice to one side and turn a blind eye to the obviously contradictory truth? It is a sad day indeed.

- in the name of Allah -



What does it mean when someone you barely thought you knew sticks by you like rubber on glue, and any misspoken word sent their way just bounces on through? It's as if a star fell from the sky, right in my mind, bore an idea that planted a seed that's growing inside. But must always the fruit of light be light? Can it be safe from the darkness, that creeps from day to day in this petty pace, 'till once again falling to night? Alas, it isn't always the intentions' paths that seeds follow, but rather they grow their own colors and shapes to construe or undo parental hopes bled nearly dry. Still, I know this star glows and yet keeps glowing, while my shadows surround it, suffocating it yet it survives in defiance of reason. Akin to the Boy Who Lived, an Idea Who Never Took, but only gave.

- in the name of Allah -



The time has come for some 'other' thoughts, of slightly out-of-the-loop ponderings, that I feel should have their own moment of lucidity. The (hor)crux of these concerns Harry Potter. My first run in with the series was back in 2000, in my 10th grade English class. My teacher was Mrs. McLaughlin, who gave extra credit if we did book reports on them. It was with that purpose I set out in borrowing the first few books from the library. Yet, here we are today, some 7 years later, where the whole journey comes to a close. What does it mean to care? How can we care about something that is complete fiction, that takes conventional theory of values and systematic society, puts it in a blender, and makes something from it in essence entirely different? What appealed to me most, what still appeals to me now about the whole series, is the many lessons to be found, the many recurrent themes, the eventual discernment that has to be made by the main characters between the things they value, and the choices they must make. As Dumbledore said in one of the books, it is about making the choice between what's right and what is easy. This is the knock on the global society at large, but nonetheless, the emphasis is always held on what choices were made, what path was chosen, by a main character who has the makings of any great leader, with an added bit of Western-styled notions of intellectual rebellion: He wants to be free of his burden, his desire for this is great, but never actually overshadows what he knows his true purpose to be. It's almost as if the entire sphere of Western and Eastern thought were combined, the best of both of them taken, and then an ideal frame of a human being carved out from the heap of molten ideas. To what end? Perhaps the answer lies in that, in this day and age more so than any that ever came before, there is a divide that needs unifying, a bridge that needs crossing, and an understanding from two different planes that needs to be understood. Who could have thought that a work of fiction could mean such a thing, but the actions undertaken by those in it would have so much symbolic significance, that they could propel men to care so much? Alas, caring is but the first step in what is known either as reform or redemption. Many people will read it, simply for the joy of reading and nothing more, glazing over some of the most important aspects of humanity that lay right underneath the surface. To take an example, the character of Severus Snape. What role could such a man play in the grand scheme of it all, given his portrayal by the author, by his relationship to the main characters? He was one disliked, despised, reviled, and downcast. Yet, it is about him which is only found near the end of the book, that redeems his past and present just about completely. Through it all, to what point though? He lived, and died, with a purpose, a goal that he defined (or had defined for him), that remained with him until the last breath he took. So what's to be derived? The very same, that there is more to this life than meets the eye (to semi-quote another almost-classic), that there is more to the notions espoused by religion and philosophy, that for perceptive beings, there can be no other end, no other more lofty ambition or recognition that there is, in fact, One God, and we are, in fact, His creation, made only to worship Him alone.

- in the name of Allah -



Hmm, I haven't been here since over a week ago. Seems like so long. Having written a number of things here and there, but not particularly anywhere, I guess I'll post what was written while at Assateague Island:

_______________
It's not the world or the heavens on my shoulders, but only my nafs with its deeds to carry when it's all over. Me, the creation, He, the Eternal, the world my vortex while time waits in the middle. Stars support the sky, giving guidance and sight to those with open minds. Though the clouds might distort the view, Ikhlaas reaches through bones to capture the truth.
_______________


Alas, my worry isn't anymore about what tomorrow brings, but about deeds to be sent forth while the Rope stretches out and thins. my simplicity's become my sanity, keeping cohesion while tornadoes of change whip in and out of season. there's no more escape or relapse, the door's been opened and possibility's hatched, from mere thoughts or ideal forms, to concrete tools and rings of ascendancy in jade adorned. tidal waves sometimes seem like sources of mutilation, but how then are shiny rocks etched into beauty's imitation? it takes a little bit of spark, a little catharsis, and a boatload of understanding to realize the end point of it again and again without repeatedly crash landing. we were made only to worship and remember, to give thanks and persevere, to hold ties and set standards for measure, to stand as one body held by One tether.

- in the name of Allah -


Sometimes I think I'd rather sleep, rather shut my eyes than open them so deep. It isn't often minds ever meet, to see the light during both day and night. I have floundered in a sea of singularity, wading knee deep in trial to fetch my end from afar closer to me. True, with every hardship I find ease, and every word He says is in earnest beneficially, though alas at times it seems crowds cannot bridge a tear in the fabric of possibility, when only just another is all there's thought to need. if spirituality has filled my soul, then where belongs the path claimed by mortality? is it just a dream, or is there a method in the madness we just yet don't see? my luggage is now with Allah, though my destination is there as well, my body's stuck in time and space, where it hates to dwell. this world has nothing for me, no dollar can quell my nafs, no vision of buildings stacked on high to make me gasp in awe, no wonder physical to a better conclusion draw. it is true, the hayaat of this world is a prison, not just for the mind, but everything that resides within. I'd forgo the fruits of this and now, to taste the sweetness of there and then. But, alas, there is no escape, the test is tried and true, and over this all reality slowly drapes.

- in the name of Allah -




Closing Curtains


When the stars fall from their place in the heavens,
When babies are never born and never meet their brethren,

When music etched into souls becomes as records played,
When only the self can propel one enough to save,

When money no longer is enough to fill the emptiness,
When blood has to be spilled to cover the cost of redress,

When people seek from outside what is to be filled within,
When people see sunshine while the evening only further dims,

When the past is a thorn still lingering enough to prick,
When the bonds of brotherhood wither and become a twig,

When judgment is given before trial or explanation,
When reason and truth are no longer enough to suffice pain's satiation,

When the gun is jumped but time never given its due,
When words can't bandage the hurt from what another went through,

When signs don't mean enough to change frozen hearts,
When accountability only concerns one's own part,

When bridges can't be built because there are no bricks,
When people keep their stones and reach a plateau less than half as thick,

When fad determines the worthiness of a path to be taken,
When painlessness takes the place of happiness in station,

When the doors of the soul become shut and the windows opened,
When others can only see but never reach the internally woven,

When wealth and stature repeal the laws of virtue and respect,
When material is the only worthwhile gain and the rest derelict,

When people only see words in their least expressive meaning,
In the stead of hearts who are in vain so fiercely beating

...

Such times, remember Allah, for He is always there
To ease the burden, and bring Victory ever near

- in the name of Allah -



seeds planted in spring yielded fruit in fall, things I thought I'd counted rightly missed their mark completely and made One enough for it all. brotherhood became a web to catch the valleys, when hills fell from folly. as days stretch to weeks and weeks to months, recovery dissolves into earnest resolve. I don't foresee much anymore, people come and go as shades of kingly thrones fall behind their source and bow to the greater purpose in store. ideas became as ideal as they could without drowning the brain that held them, safeenati became now a means to overcome the treacherous seas. in this world of the ocean's surface, I find tension pretentious, likely to give way to whim of wind without a moment's notice. so it is, the safeena rocks to and fro, supplanting the earth-like solidity with water's conforming

- in the name of Allah -



I am reminded in these early morning hours just how the journey of this life is made. There is no quick and easy exit, no simple shortcut, no one-line answer to any thoughtful issue. Often, I cannot even envision the wisdom behind some of the events that occur, but it is true that Allah's wisdom isn't one often comprehensible by men. In my life, I have come perilously close to kufr by not being thankful to Allah for the blessings I have received and the disasters from which I have been saved. What is scary to learn, however, is that one can discern from this a pattern without repetition, a pattern without definition, that follows askew the general trend of up's and down's. If someone should fall into a pit, then who can bring them out of it? I fell into such a pit, and though I knew of it, I could not retrieve myself from it. It was Allah who decreed that I see past the darkness of human fallibility and be reminded of the eternal hope of not only redemption, but a promise and possibility of a better life. Since having revisited this conclusion, I find that lows are no longer as low, and highs are held in check by their own selves, simply because some times, one would rather believe something be true when it is not so.

I am learning that it is nigh impossible to expect to be able to communicate with certain elements of people, and expect not the past to be a requisite factor in determining how such interactions develop and mature. The case in question refers to facebook, inconsequential in and of itself, but something a bit more when reinforced with those we think to know. It seems that a certain some thing's relatives have become off limits. How could it be so pretentious, if it is in fact the source of the disconnect? This is a mystery for another time, but one piece of self knowledge is gleaned from such an estimation. Mortality need not run through the hearts of men simply as a fragility leaning toward death, but also through a realization that quakes the soul as fragility of life; we are always more human than we think we are.

- in the name of Allah -



it seems I'm no longer swimming the seas of the world, though the storms and fires leave little fitnah interred. paths and fortunes remain on cookies, no longer sought after as sources of vindication or cause for jubilation on some midnight summer's eve, for the glow of some lamps is brighter and more lasting, a vision not for flies but those who seek out more than just barely passing. these lines used to be places for me to empty frustrations, pour open tombs of relic melted by time and reformed by not too recent catharsis and conflagration. but every opening that comes from this earth will find its end in the same place, so when the heavens are the goals and directions, purpose becomes more than just simplistic rebellion and mindless dissension. in every means, the end remains unified, whole, unbroken, unlittered, unfettered, consisting of One in almost as many letters. reason and logic, emotion and feeling, all know their source and now comprehend the truth of an irresistible craving. no longer do people or ideas in this world suffice, no longer can they hold back the soul from the precipice, the soul seeks flight, so risk is taken albeit small in my own eyes, that from this leap shall be pulled back the curtains, and beheld a Sight, worth waiting for all time.

- in the name of Allah -


O Fashioner of the Heavens, O Living One, O Sustainer of Life..

Relieve the difficulties that Muslims are facing in America, and around the world. Make every person of this ummah someone to care about and take care of. Grant shifa'aa, 'aajilan and kaamilan, to those who are sick, and suffering. Give sakeenah to the hearts who pulsate under stress and struggle. Protect our deen from trial, and make us as models for the rest of mankind.

Ameen, O Lord of the

- in the name of Allah -




sometimes I am given pause to wonder just what is the role of one who thinks in this dunya. if we are not involved, do we devolve? are our struggles to integrate schisms of digression, or efforts worthy of investment? I saw something I did not know I would see, yet its meaning and force could not have been felt any more. it brings me to another question, what do we want for others? do we want the same things for them as we do ourselves? if they have attained happiness, then can that, should that be enough? to remove any unnecessary guessing, it was her. a happily married picture. an amalgamation of emotions rose that yielded this very fine point: though sadness can be and oftentimes is inevitable, happiness need not exclude itself from it; one can be both happy and sad, simultaneously. alhamdulillah, this isn't a time, there are no more such times for me, where reminiscing becomes a tragic, vogue tendency. I...have moved on. it is time I unpublished the other blog, and pursue greater meaning, from

- in the name of Allah -

(all of this is relevant only to the Muslim ummah, no one else)

After a few days of working at the local masjid, I have made a few observations worthy of being mentioned. It seems that a majority of the sisters of the ummah have a "princess complex", and that would have been fine, had the brothers not also been afflicted with a "fallen prince complex".

Let me elaborate. What I know of female psychology, I know from both textbooks and personal experience, so if it offends anyone, then my condolences beforehand. What I know of male psychology, I know from both textbooks and the fact that I am one. The current trend I am noticing is that sisters are unwilling to shoulder more responsibility than was expected from them according to previous generations of social experience; in the past, a female would have been relegated to roles primarily situated in the "home" and would be considered the primary "caretaker" of the children. Not only were the males expected to provide the income for the family, they were expected to do all the "dirty" and "thankless" work that needed to be done but was obviously undesirable in and of itself (to be fair, the women had their share of such roles). Still, for a number of generations, the males were those who could and would do the work, and so there was some stability as far the family structure goes on a global scale, and how much respect each community and nation paid to its notion in keeping the "family" going attested to this.

These past two generations of males, entailing the last 50-100 years or so, have missed their mark. How can I say this? I can say this by observing the elders of our community, and communities, and by noticing as well the changes in behavior, from what it was expected to have been.

The results of two and a half world wars gives ample evidence for how the failure of the male has come, such a grand scale that it almost passes without notice, almost becoming a listless "evolving" of the male caricature. This is the nature of the "fallen prince complex": the prince being the former role once held by the past generations of Muslim men, who now having fallen from power and from "grace", now suffer a useless ignominy rooted in pride without substance or reason. This is our state today, as men. It is akin to the aging monarch, who sees and has seen his time to rule pass, but cannot and does not know how to convey power or educate the coming generation. Will our generation suffer as our fathers and their fathers suffered? How long can our "princesses" manage the ummah, while our "fallen princes" lament a past long gone? How can we reclaim our place among the nations of this world, and find the throne of the dunya once again in the hands of those who believe?

- in the name of Allah -



Came across this quote while checking my email (it was part of an ad or something):

"Martin Luther - 'Who loves not women, wine and song remains a fool his whole life long.'"

What interested me about it is the ayah in suratul-Baqarah, when the disbelievers/hypocrites exclaimed "should we believe as the fools believe?" - paraphrased. SubhanAllah. This is so in line with the quote above, as disbelievers love 'women, wine, and song', while the Muslim is required to understand why these things function as vice, and to abstain from them (obvious exception to women - marriage). They call us fools if we love not these things as they do; I, for one, would rather then live my entire life as a such a fool, and then see, in the end, who was truly foolish.

- in the name of Allah -




It should come as no surprise that as one climbs closer to Allah, the struggles of the nafs become magnified, and every one becomes an epic battle, each side wondering where my end will be. On the one hand, there is call of the dunya, alluring with all of its vice and wealth and promise of fortune. On the other hand, there is the call of the akhirah, ever steady in its call to enjoin the good and forbid what is evil. It is in these moments of in between where our allegiance is truly tested, where we truly decide whether or not to become or remain people of Allah, or be left to our own devices. I do not regret the struggles, for they make me realize just how precious hidaya (guidance) is, and just how much we need to nourish it with dhikr to make it last, and to make our end, insha'Allah, one of serenity and purpose.


It's been awhile since I feel like something of substance has been written. Maybe...



Choose Your Side

roses and trees, swift rivers and streams, fruit close at hand with no ill will among neighbors and no unease. days and nights merge into one, an outline for eternity begun but never done. fair maidens and favorite friends, mellow companions giving thanks without end. valleys to explore, mysteries becoming only opened doors to understanding more. perhaps most important, a feeling unscripted and without description, happily contented satisfaction brimming over and beyond the notion of bliss, could there be a place such as this?

furnaces and forks, boiling water and pus the main entree served without remorse. screams and wails dot the moments that never finish passing, nails on coffins everlasting. death no more but anguish renewed, their numbers many but their meaning askew. pain and regret, give meaning to disobedience and consequence to the derelict. no smiling faces, only frowns and gaping mouths twisted into permanent scowls, wishes of respite denied quickly and contrite as they themselves denied the truth in life. suffering needs no depiction, but how many know the cure to this affliction?

- in the name of Allah -



If I was in pieces before, then now I am whole, not because I stand on my own, but because Allah gives me the strength to take command of my soul and follow the truth down any dark or lightened road.

[...a bit later..]

I've built crystalline castles in a past lacking in hustle but full of hassle, the goals I thought I'd meet turned out to be stallions without saddles. Dreams crumbled to dust, but rain fell from the heavens and it became fertile with trust and care, so suddenly what wasn't there appeared, making the path ahead one less thing to fear. I still wonder just how many people I will come to know and have lost, owing to neglect or too great a personal cost. The world spins on capitalist wheels, with an engine of greed and a windshield of blindness concealed. They call these things excuses I peddle, avoiding strain and effort in a society where work taxes and drains until the mind is numb and doesn't remember what to testify or proclaim. To be a part of something, yes the desire is there, but here, now?, in this colossal deceit where the ends justify the means? I hold out as long as I can, until tendrils of fate catch up to me, lacerations unabated of truths they call unequivocal in nature, but in truer reality, a figment of secondary imagining created to satiate those with questions felt but unstated. Perhaps I'm lazy, but it doesn't stop the world from being bloodthirsty over money and willing to debase anything and anyone as long as the cogs in the chain remain acquiescent and believably repentant.

At the very least, they can't claim our minds and the innards of our being, these parts forever will be ours with which to pray and beseech the One above for a path out of this madness to a grave of greater peace and a future worthwhile in the hereafter.

- in the name of Allah -


It is a sad day when the one you ask forgiveness from forgives you for a wrong they think you feel remorseful for, when in fact, the truth is the anguish of swallowing an emotional injustice whose true meaning only Allah understands. Ultimately, good does become of it, and to a higher place do we go.

- in the name of Allah -


It isn't often that instead of writing questions on these pages I write answers, but that is what I find myself doing this evening in May. As for my previous post and its question about how to determine where another's place in life should be, the answer always has been simple enough: ask Allah. It makes sense that if one does not know, he should seek the way from the One who does. Things can sometimes be just that simple. Alhamdulillah for that.

Where to go from here? Should we seek the definite outline of tomorrow's plans today, or can something a little less complicated suffice? I think the latter may be possible, especially given my recent experiences. I challenge anyone reading this, that for all the planning that has been done in life, to look for contentment and reply only from Allah in salaat. It is that easy; go figure why it took me just 21.4 years to come to that precise answer. Sometimes we seek from within ourselves the definition of our soul, of who we really are, of what path of the many in front of us we should follow, and sometimes the answer cannot be found from within - not that it necessarily is in the "without" that it can be found. I wrote once, long ago, that it could be the same thing in wanting something for one's self, and wanting something for the sake of Allah; the two are, in essence, synonymous, as never can Allah be benefited or harmed, so it should follow that whatever we do for His pleasure or for our own pleasure, should only come back to help or harm our own selves. So, if we seek the answers to who we are, where should we go, and how should we get there, the circle begins with the self, extends out to Allah, and ends back again in us. This is because first we must have a question, before an answer is sought, and that question almost necessarily begins within the self. Then, finding that nearly in every case, we are unable to map out a reply, we seek guidance from Allah. The best and simplest way is istikharah, a prayer and dua explicitly seeking the best method of resolution, the knowledge of which lies with Allah, and is believed we adopt the path as long as the mind and the heart are open. The last means, is the internalization of what this request to Allah means, of accepting it in the deepest part of the soul, and allowing the truth of existence to flow from both idea to practice. We resist it at times, thinking that we can guide ourselves, that our intellect is grand enough to encompass our purpose, but it's only folly. You can only find peace and truth when it dawns upon your mind just why you were made: to worship only One.

- in the name of Allah -



so the semester is almost over, alh, and I find myself at yet another crossroads. when we meet people in life, how do we determine what purpose they serve, if they will belong in our lives for a moment, a season, or a lifetime? is the only process to finding out by random guessing, or is there another way to sift through the temporal wisps and find something truly substantial? I don't know. in other news, while observing tonight's stars in the sky, the question of destiny and purpose arose once more: just how should/can we define our existence? sure, the basic premise of humanity, taken and accepted as truth, is to worship one God, Allah. but when it comes to the more monotonous and ordinary aspects of day to day life, what is the measuring stick? do we define ourselves according to what others have done? or do we blaze our own paths in risk, hoping for some newfound reward? eventually, the issues of the past can be overcome, but can it be prevented from shaping our present, or our future? how can the distance between ourselves and our Creator be bridged, after we encounter the most prophetic truth in life: that few things are as they seem, and there are no guarantees that one good will beget another, that one justice will mean anything more than the moment in which it was displayed? one may wish the world's weight in good, and commit but one egregious mistake to potentially doom it all - how can this deck of cards be best played when all we have is but 4 cards at a time? the first step in most any answer to such kinds of questioning, is and has to be, patience. though, even that has me at times, pensive; what if all this time which I am giving is my respite, and while waiting for an answer, I meet its end, only to realize when it's too late that I could have better used it? this is why it truly sucks to die young: one is hampered by experience, and the fuller scope of life doesn't really hit you. yet, we are accountable for our actions at any given time after puberty, even in the throes of adolescence, and especially in the twilight zone of early adulthood. there is a middle line somewhere, only I haven't seen it yet.

- in the name of Allah -



Came across this link on the BBC.com front page, talking about the country of East Timor (geographically southeast of Indonesia / north of Australia) and how it recently (May 20th, 2002) gained its independence from Indonesia, who had been occupying it for years. Initially, this didn't appear to be something new, as it resembled in many ways the American occupation of Iraq. However, what ended up putting the nail in the coffin, was this quote:

"East Timor will rely on outside help for many years since its infrastructure is poor and the country is drought-prone. However, vast offshore oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea hold much potential."

Is it just me or does that ring a bell? Hello oil fields in Iraq. Should anyone be oblivious as to wonder who will be that 'outside help' in rebuilding East Timor? Perhaps the same companies currently contracted to rebuild Iraq? The question of Indonesia's oppression of East Timor is almost irrelevant, and here's why: every region in the world (almost) is beset by some sort of civil unrest, some sort of movement here or there that is struggling against the governments rooted in power to found their own place/land/resources as they see fit, instead of having them controlled by proxies of other governments. One should wonder why one region is seen as more important and worthy of "aid" and "liberation", what factors preclude such decisions as political standing of one group of people versus another. It isn't a surprise that the Timorese gained their independence (let's not forget the colonization of pretty much the entire known world resulted in clear cut disparities between people of many races and ethnicities), but what is cause for wonder and concern is just how that independence will pan out. Is the price of freedom worth the cost of oppression by another's hand, the cost of being looted by those who's interests are even more vastly different from those of Indonesia (who at least has the excuse of geography and ancestry to squabble with them)? I don't know. I imagine it is the wish of every fair-minded individual observing these world events that hopes those who wish for freedom know precisely what they are wishing for, as it just may come true.

- in the name of Allah -



it doesn't take a genie or genius to derive peace from within when resistance is maximally resisted, as the guiding light sometimes burns better peered at than peered from. what's happening lately is another stage of self evolution, the footsteps destiny leading the way as precursors to resolution. what i thought to have had i don't know if it was really there, if the notions in my head were really substance or thin air, but it's the present i find myself in that has me content and well aware. demons and angels abound in our daily lives, if we only bothered to look around with opened eyes. they aren't meant to define or determine, but clarify a path that's already been internally woven. maturity, like a lens, shows me the stars and foreshadows a destiny, barely visible but inescapable from the confines of time and relativity. it's my destiny now to believe in Him, in only God, only one Creator, Originator, Sustainer, to hold this thought in the cradle of my conscience and comfort it with the seeds of my brain, letting it find roots in becoming a catalyst for change. truth is elusive these days amidst the desert of opinions, facts of dates and fate rain down on the populations, but they remain oblivious, choosing instead an image of satiation. we can't change the past or predict the future, but it's the present who's choices we rule over, the very same choices that decide an end coming already closer.

- in the name of Allah -


Came across this piece of an article from CNN.com, talking about the war in Iraq:

"[CNN Analyst Peter] Bergen says it is imperative that the United States not let that [i.e. what happened in Afghanistan] happen in Iraq.

'What we must prevent is central/western Iraq [from] becoming a Sunni militant state that threatens our interests directly as an international terror hub,' he said."

- (source located here)

Imagine if the wording were rephrased to something a bit less dogmatic, less polar, less blatant. Something like: "What we can't allow is a state whose interests are contrary to our own to come into existence; allowing people who's views differ from our own to have a place from which to rise up and rebel and 'fight for what they believe in' would be too damaging to risk."

I'm given pause to wonder: what happened during the American Revolution? Did we break away from a pre-existing empire or did a random group of people get together and decide to build a nation? What forces were necessary for America to come into being? If we can agree that the nature of this impetus was a need for something to call one's own, for a place unclouded by the feeling of oppression and injustice, then why is it so ironic, that if it is such a state the founders of America achieved, we should be the ones to prevent others from finding and founding the like anywhere and everywhere else in the world?

- in the name of Allah -


Haven't written in awhile, but this is recently inspired.


"let's Fly"

dedications to memories buried in imaginary cemeteries, the world is my grave until you beat through these arteries. i came back to pieces of pyramids almost forgotten, a past of almost perfection, where things stood right even though the rest of the world seemed to be crumbling. even though it's meaningless i'll say it anyways: i should've been there, should've manned up, should've found myself sooner, but the diamond i had in my hands slipped out of my grasp and before even a second had passed there it was- falling into an ocean where i could never follow, a path only destined to haunt and leave hollow. unless i can fill it up with memories and not do injustice to the future coming to me, it just might be circles that i travel in again, circles without an end or beginning but always promising to leave one spinning. i don't know why i haven't felt like reaching for the moon in so long, but lately i've wanted to fly with thoughts of you on my mind: the wind in my face, blowing through my soul, a filter for the folly that left the keys to my past without their hole. swooping wings and thunderous hearts, the rush begins when the seas part, giving hope its middle lane between the loony and sane. i can only think of Jannah, the only plausible possibility, where you finally morph from a dream into an effervescent reality. still, i'm reminded so succinctly how ironic it is i should depend on this need for hope, after i'd once casted off faith in its purpose and replaced it with the need to cope. i'm approaching a loss for words; the door is closing, but with whispers yet unspoken, whispers yet unheard..