Interesting Early Petroglyphs in America

Early Petroglyphs in America

Dance, Love, Sing, Work, and Live

Dance, as though no one is watching,
Love, as though you've never been hurt before,
Sing, as though no one can hear you,
Work, as though you don't need the money,
Live, as though heaven is on earth.

[Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

Really Funny Crazy Dog

MARK LEUNG'S CRAZY COMPUTER BUG

Cool South Park Studio

http://www.spstudio.linda.hosting-friends.de/spstudio.html

The Names of Things

You should try to hear the name He has for things. There is something in the phrase: “He taught him names.” We name everything according to its outward form; He names it according to the batin, to what is inside.Moses waved his stick; he thought it was a staff, Inside its name was “serpent.”We thought the name of Umar was “idolater,” but in eternity his name is “the true believer.” No one knows our hidden name until our last breath goes out.

[Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

Troubled Waters

Allah sometimes takes us into troubled waters - Not to drown us, but to cleanse us.

[Arabic Proverb]

Speech and Silence

There are two kinds of speeches and two kinds of silences. Speech is either truth or falsification, and silence is either fruition or heedlessness. If one speaks the truth, his words are better than his silence, but the one who invents falsifications, his silence is better than his speech.

[Al Hujwiri]

Danger and Safety

In the sea there are countless treasures,
But if you desire safety, it is on the shore.

[Sheikh Sa’di]

Knowledge and Action

Knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity.

[Imam Abu Hamid al Ghazali]

The Tongue and the Heart

It is useless to have a learned tongue but an ignorant heart.

[Shaykh Abdal Qadir al Jilani]

Marriage

Whoever proposed to the world, then the world would not be satisfied until he gave up his Deen as dowry.

[Mâlik ibn Dînâr]

Friends and Faults

If you are looking for a friend who is faultless, you will be friendless.

[Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

The Garden and the Gardener

A man went to the rose garden in search of beautiful blooms but found the beauty he craved in the face of the gardene.

[Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

The Islamization of Yoga in the Amrtakunda Translations

http://www.unc.edu/~cernst/articles/JRASyoga.htm

Passing Thoughts ...

“Ward off passing thoughts, for if you do not, they will become ideas. Ward off ideas, for if you do not, they will become desires.Fight the desires, for if you do not, they will become resolve and determination. And if you do not ward them off, they will become actions. If you do not resist them with its opposite, they will become habits.And it will be difficult for you to get rid of them." [al-Fawâid by Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah]

From here.

Unfolding a Rose

A young, new ustadh (teacher) was walking with an older, more seasoned ustadh (teacher) in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what Allah had for him to do, he was asking the older ustadh for some advice. The older ustadh walked up to a rosebush and handed the young ustadh a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young ustadh looked in disbelief at the older ustadh and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of Allah for his life and ministry.
But because of his great respect for the older ustadh, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact… It wasn’t long before he realized how impossible this was to do. Noticing the younger ustadh’s inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older ustadh began to recite the following poem…

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of Allah’s design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
ALLAH opens this flower so sweetly,
Then in my hands they die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of Allah’s design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I’ll trust in Allah for leading
Each moment of my day.
I will look to Allah for His guidance
Each step of the way.

The pathway that lies before me,
Only Allah knows.
I’ll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.

From here.

A poet once said ...

I won't leave the doorway
till they set right my deficiency
Lest they greet me while I'm bent
with my shameful incapacity

If you are satisfied with me
imagine my honor and my nobility!
Yet if you reject me, is there any hope
for my impertinent rigidity?

From here.

Anecdotes of Rabiah al Adawiayah

One spring day Rabe'a entered her apartment and put out her head."Mistress," her servant said, "come out and see what the Maker has wrought.""Do you rather come in," Rabi'a replied, "and see the Maker. The contemplation of the Maker preoccupies me, so that I do not care to look upon what He has made."
A leading scholar of Basra visited Rabe'a on her sickbed. Sitting beside her pillow, he reviled the world."You love the world very dearly," Rabe'a commented. "If you did not love the world, you would not make mention of it so much. It is always the purchaser who disparages the wares. If you were done with the world, you would not mention it either for good or evil. As it is, you keep mentioning it because, as the proverb says, whoever loves a thing mentions it frequently."
'Abd al-Wahid-e Amer relates as follows.I went with Sofyan-e Thauri to visit Rabe'a when she was sick, but out of awe for her I could not begin to address her."You say something," I said to Sofyan."If you will say a prayer," Sofyan said to Rabe'a, "your pain will be eased.""Do you not know who has willed that I should suffer? Was it not God?" Rabe'a demanded."Yes," Sofyan agreed."How is is that you know that," Rabe'a went on, "and yet you bid me to request from Him the contrary of His will? It is not right to oppose one's Friend.""What thing do you desire, Rabe'a?" Sofyan asked."Sofyan, you are a learned man. Why do you speak like that? 'What thing do you desire?' By the glory of God," Rabe'a asseverated, "for twelve years now I have been desiring fresh dates. You know that in Basra dates are of no consequence. Yet till now I have not eaten any; for I am His servant, and what business has a servant to desire? If I wish, and my Lord does not wish, this would be infidelity. You must want only what He wishes, to be a true servant of God. If God himself gives, that is a different matter."Sofyan was reduced to silence. Then he said,"Since one cannot speak about your situation, do you say something about mine.""You are a good man, but for the fact you love the world," Rabe'a replied. "You love reciting Traditions (Hadith)."This she said, implying that that was a high position."Lord God," cried Sofyan, deeply moved, "be content with me!""Are you not ashamed," broke in Rabe'a, "to seek the contentment of One with whom you yourself are not content?"
When the time came that Rabe'a should die, those attending her deathbed left the room and closed the door. Then a voice was heard saying, O soul at peace, return unto thy Lord, well-pleased! (89:27-28) A time passed and no sound came from the room, so they opened the door and found that she had given up the ghost.After her death she was seen in a dream. She was asked, " How did you fare with Monkar and Nakir?" She replied, "Those youths came to me and said, 'Who is thy Lord?' I answered, 'Return and say to God, with so many thousand thousand creatures Thou didst not forget one feeble old woman. I, who have only Thee in the whole world, I shall never forget Thee, that Thou shouldst sent one to ask me, Who is thy God?'"
Prayers of Rabe'a
O God, whatsoever Thou hast apportioned to me of worldly things, do Thou give that to Thy enemies; and whatsoever Thou hast apportioned to me in the world to come, give that to Thy friends; for Thou sufficest me.
O God, if I worship Thee for fear of Hell, burn me in Hell, and if I worship Thee in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise; but if I worship Thee for Thy own sake, grudge me not Thy everlasting beauty.
O God, my whole occupation and all my desire in this world, of all worldly things, is to remember Thee, and in the world to come, of all the things of the world to come, is to meet Thee. This is on my side, as I have stated; now do Thou whatsoever Thou wilt.-Shaykh Fariduddin 'Attar, Memorial of the Saints (Tadhkirat al-Awliya')
Love and Affection
Inclination and attachment to a person or a thing, whom or which one likes and is interested in and whereby one derives pleasure and is delighted is called love and affection. Such a kind of inclination and attachment at a higher level is what we may call Ishq.
This degree of love and affection is a blessing and is bestowed from above. When one prefers and respects the wishes of one's Real Beloved to one who is earthly and hence transitory, this kind of love is on the rational level and is, therefore, obligatory. However, there are various degrees and stages in it where one has to exercise one's preference in view of the particular situation and the occasion which one has to face and is confronted with.
There are several commandments out of which some are obligatory, some are optional and some are desirable according to their respective importance within the framework of Islamic Shari'ah. Anything earthly, be it in the form of dear and near ones, kiths and kins, wealth and riches conducive to one's pleasure, pomp and dignity, impedes one's way to make any sacrifice in the way of God. One should not for a moment hesitate to sacrifice any such things and should come forward to avoid God's wrath and displeasure.
The principle underlying the idea is that one should not be so much attached to material and sensuous things of this world which may come in the way and restrain him from following the Divine commandments enjoined by the Law of Islamic Shari'ah and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). One should regard and prefer them to everything else and should act upon them consciously, willingly and gladly.
The Holy Qur'an says:"...And those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah..." (2:165)
There are degrees of love for God. The greater the degree of love for Him, the higher and firmer is the faith. The highest degree in this direction is achieved when one firmly resolves to follow strictly each and every tenet of the Shari'ah and does not do anything against it at any time and at any stage and starts acting in accordance to it. This is in fact the real objective to be attained.
Love and affection may be classified into two categories:The first kind of love is at the physical level, which is involuntary and temporary and arises out of physical passions. Being emotional in character, it is therefore short-lived.
The second kind of love is on the rational and intellectual level which, being voluntary in its nature, is durable and, therefore, better and superior than the first kind.
Firstly, love is developed for someone due to the fact that either one has been under the obligation of somebody, which creates love for him on that account or secondly, the object of one's love is so beautiful that one is drawn towards him on that account and thirdly, the object of one's love possesses some distinctive mark or quality which he appreciates and applauds and as such one is attracted towards him on that account.
It is Almighty God alone, who is the fountainhead of all the beautiful characteristics and qualities. He is perfect in His essence and attributes and as such to develop love and affection for Him is everlasting and of great worth and value. Love for any worldly object is temporary because the worldly objects are themselves transitory and temporary in nature. It is on this account that the highly learned and intellectual persons cherish spiritual love for God and God alone.
Actually, the intended objective is love on the rational level and not love on the physical and emotional levels. However, it does not mean that those who possess rational love are completely devoid of physical love. They do have physical love on occasions but it is subordinate to rational love. The love on the intellectual level in such persons dominates the love on the emotional level while persons who stand on a lower level, their physical love dominates over intellectual love. The highly developed persons partake of both, that is, the physical love and the rational love.
In them, the latter overwhelms the former. Love and affection is essential for a human being, without which all sorts of submissions, prayers and devotions become customary, conventional, ritualistic and a matter of routine derived of any spirit. Love adds glamour to life and infuses the soul on all kinds of such performances as worship, devotional activities, etc.
Contact with ultimate reality through customary and conventional means and methods, being a slow and gradual process, takes a long time to attain His nearness and have His glimpses, whereas if the same is animated with love for Him, one can easily and quickly attain union with Him and have his recognition (Ma'rifa).
Actual practice in accordance with the tenets of Islamic Shari'ah, motivated by good intention and extreme love for Him, renders the journey convenient, covers the distance quickly and helps reach the destination harmoniously.
Divine love, when it reaches its climax, has such a strong hold upon a man that he does not feel perturbed and disturbed when any calamity and catastrophe befalls him or when he has to face any difficulty or adverse situations. He is peaceful and contented under all circumstances, pain or pleasure. It is on account of this, that he considers everything as from above and as such, difficulties seem to be a boon and a blessing from God. One is rejoiced and gets pleasure in following His commandments and in submitting to His directions.
The Holy Qur'an lays down the method of attaining nearness to God when it addressed the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as follows:"Say (to mankind O Muhammad), If you love God, follow me (and) God will love you..." (3:31)
The following procedure has been suggested for the creation of Divine love within the heart of the faithful:
1. One should acquire religious knowledge in the first instance and develop insight in it.
2. One should follow the tenets of the Shari'ah strictly with pure intention.
3. Divine directions as laid down in the Qur'an must be followed.
4. One should do virtuous deeds with firm determination and purity of intention, with love and affection wholeheartedly.
5. One should recite the name of Allah in solitude for a short span of time.
6. One should associate with Godly pious persons and remain in close contact with them.
7. One should remind one's own self, in solitude, the blessings of Allah that are bestowed on him and watch his own conduct with reference to them, concerning how far he is grateful to Him for the bounties showered on him.
8. One should always pray to God for the creation of His love in his mind.
9. One should meditate and concentrate with a positive attitude on the fact that God loves him and likes him. The natural result of this will be that Divine love will be created in one's mind and all kinds of embarassments, disturbances and difficulties will come to an end.

The method to drink deep in Divine love is to free one's self from worldly love and its bondage, in which one is constantly chained and shackled, and to cherish love for Him and Him alone. That is the way to attain nearness to Him, when one does not see anything else but sees God in it. That is the state of real love for the Divine.-Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanvi

Spiritual Advice 2

Abu Dardaa Radhiallaho anho reports that Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihewasallam said; 'If you knew what I know, you would laugh less andweep more often and the world would become contemptible in yoursight, and you would not prefer it to the Hereafter'. After relatingthe Hadith, Abu Dardaa Radhiallaho anho added on his own account: 'Ifyou knew what I know, you would go out to the jungle, weeping andcrying and leave your property unguarded. But your hearts areheedless of the requirements of the Hereafter and you have, beforeyou, worldly hopes and aspirations. That is why the world has becomeyour master and all your activities are directed towards it; you havereduced yourself to a condition of stark ignorance. What is worse,some of you have become like the animals, indulging in lustfulactivities, not minding the evil consequences. What has happened toyou that you do not love one another, nor admonish one another,though you are brothers in Islam? There is discord among you becauseof your wrong desires, arising out of the corruption within you. Ifyou are united in the cause of 'Deen' and affairs of 'Deen', yourbonds of mutual relationship will be strengthened. What has happenedto you, that you counsel one another about affairs of this world, butdo not do so about affairs of the Akhirah? You are incapable ofadmonishing those whom you love and do not give them good counselabout the affairs of the Hereafter. This is only because of yourweak faith. If you had faith in the good and evil things of theHereafter, like your belief in the good and evil things of thisworld, you would certainly give preference to the Akhirah. TheAkhirah should have greater control over your affairs. You may saythat the needs of this world are immediate, while those of theHereafter are remote. Just imagine how many activities there are, inthis world, of which the fruits have to be reaped later. Still youoil and fret and struggle hard for them! For example, you work hardin the fields, for months together, hoping to reap crops in the end.Similarly, you take pains to plant trees in the garden, hoping topick the fruit after years of hard labour and patient waiting. Youhave deteriorated, in matters of faith, so much that you do not careto gauge the level of your Imaan (faith) by doing things that wouldreveal it'.'If you have any doubts about the revealed knowledge conveyed to usby Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam, please come to us, so thatwe may show you the truth of this knowledge and make it abundantlyclear to you. Come, we will show you the light by which you will beable to see, for yourself, that whatever Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihewasallam said is absolutely true. You are no fools that we shouldregard you incapable of understanding it. For, you hold sound viewsabout worldly affairs and act upon them most carefully. Then, whatis wrong with you that you do not exercise wisdom, nor act with duecare in affairs of the Akhirah. What has happened to you? Why is itthat you feel very happy over a paltry gain of this world and feelvery sad over a little loss, to the extent that its effect isreflected in your faces. You complain of your 'sufferings', callinga little trouble a 'suffering' and hold meetings to console oneanother. But you are not grieved, nor feel sad, when you happen tomiss an important religious requirement; your faces do not wear anexpression of sorrow. When I see your indifference towards 'Deen', Ifeel inclined to think that Allah Ta'ala has forsaken you. You greetone another happily but everyone avoids saying anything which may beunpleasant, though true, to the other. He fears lest the otherperson should say to him something in return, which would displeasehim. So, you live amicably, keeping all dark thoughts toyourselves. Thus you have become corrupt from within though,outwardly, you seem to be enjoying life. And you seem to have allagreed not to think of death. I wish Allah Ta'ala would grant medeath and relieve me of sorrow on your account! And, I wish to jointhe company of those I love most dearly (meaning RasulullahSallallaho alaihe wasallam and the Sahabah Radhiallaho anhum). Ifthey were alive, they would not have liked to associate with you,even for a short while. If there still remains an iota of good inyou, take heed. For, I have told you what I think of you clearly andwithout hesitation, and I have spoken the truth. It is quite easy toachieve that which Allah Ta'ala has got in store for you (the boonsof the Hereafter). And I seek help from Allah Ta'ala, both for youand myself'. (Here ends the Exhortation given by Abu DardaaRadhiallaho anho.)This admonition by Abu Dardaa Radhiallaho anho deserves deepconsideration, because he was showing his displeasure to thosepersons with whom we, today, cannot stand comparison. If Abu DardaaRadhiallaho anho were to see our present day deplorable indifferencetowards 'Deen', he would certainly have died of sorrow and grief.Surely for people like him, the sight of our present-day sad plightin religious matter would be most unbearable.Hasan Basri Rahmathullah alaihe says, 'May Allah have mercy uponthose who were given this world as a trust and they, in turn,entrusted it to others and passed away, freed from the worries of theworld!' He also says, 'If anyone prevents you from observanceof 'Deen', defy him; but if anyone hinders you from gaining a worldlyadvantage, leave it for him and have no care'. Abu HaazimRahmatullah alaihe says, 'Protect yourself from worldly attractions!On the Day of Resurrection, a man will be summoned and theannouncement shall be made, 'He is the man who set great value uponthings which had been condemned by Allah Ta'ala'. Abdullah IbneMasood Radhiallaho anho says; 'Everybody is, so to say, a guest inhis own house, and all his possessions are like borrowed things. Theguest shall go back home (to the Hereafter) and the borrowed thingsshall have to be returned'.Once Rabiah Basriyya Rahmathullah alaiha was sitting in company withsome people who were talking of the world reproachfully. Shesaid, 'Do not talk of the world. Do not talk of it evendisparagingly. For, your talking of it shows that you consider it tobe worth talking about, and something of consequence. If it were ofno consequence in your sight, you would never have liked to make amention of it. (For, who would talk about the filth that menexcrete?)'Luqman alaihissalam said, in the course of his last advice to hisson, 'Barter this world for your 'Deen', you will reap the benefits(of the bargain) both in this world, and the Hereafter; but do notbarter away your 'Deen' for the sake of this world, or else you willsuffer loss in this world and the next'. Mutarrif bin ShikheerRahmatullah alaihe says, 'Do not look admiringly at the luxuriouslife of the kings and their fine dress. Consider what shall be theend of all this'.Abu Umamah Radhiallaho anho says, 'When Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihewasallam was sent as a 'Nabi' to mankind, Shaitan (Satan) sent forthhis detachments to take stock of the situation. They came back andtold him that a 'Nabi' had been sent to mankind and that he has alarge number of followers. Shaitan then asked them to make surewhether they (the followers) loved the world. His disciplesreplied, 'Yes, certainly'. Shaitan then said, 'I do not mind, eventhough they shun idol-worship, for I shall seduce them with threethings: (1) earning money by unlawful means, (2) spending it in anunlawful manner, and (3) refusing to spend it on things on which itshould be spent'.Ali Radhiallaho anho says; 'Man shall have to render an account ofhis lawfully earned money and he will have to suffer punishment forthe money earned unlawfully'. Maalik bin Dinar Rahmatullah alaihesays, 'Beware of this sorceress (the world), because its magic workseven upon the hearts of the Ulama'.Abu Sulaiman Darani Rahmatullah alaihe says, 'He whose heart isoccupied with love of the Hereafter cannot be at peace with the lifeof the world; for the latter will go on struggling to take possessionof his heart. On the other hand, he whose heart is occupied by thelove of this world, need not worry about any hindrance from theHereafter. For, the life of Akhirah is like a being of nobledisposition, least willing to take possession of homes occupied byothers. And this world is mean by nature, imbued with the desire tooccupy others' houses by force'. Maalik bin Dinar Rahmatullah alaihesays, 'The more you worry about this world, the less concerned willyou be about your Hereafter. And the more concerned you are aboutthe Hereafter, the less worried will you be about this world'.Hasan Basri Rahmatullah alaihe says, 'I have known people to whom theworldly benefits were of less importance than the earth on which youwalk and they did not care a whit for the gain or loss of thosebenefits. Nor did they care to notice who was receiving them and whowas being deprived'. Someone asked him, 'What do you think of aperson whom Allah Ta'ala has granted abundance of wealth and hespends it, giving it away as Sadaqah or spends it on his relations?Is it advisable for him to partake of delicious food and lead asumptuous life?' Hasan Rahmatullah alaihe replied, 'No even if hewere to possess all the treasures of the world, it would be advisablefor him to spend on his own needs only as much as was absolutelynecessary. He should remit all that exceeds his barest needs to thenext world, where it will be treasured up for him to be utilized on aDay (the Day of Resurrection) when he is in dire need of help'.Fudhail Rahmatullah alaihe says, 'If I were presented all the richesof the world, with the assurance that no reckoning will be made forit, I would not accept it; for me, it is disgusting like carrion,which you avoid for fear for polluting your clothes'. HasanRahmatullah alaihe says, 'Bani Israel, though they worshipped AllahTa'ala, became degenerate and began to worship idols because of theirlove of the world'. He also says, 'Man always considers his wealthto be little, but he never regards his virtues to be few. He doesnot care if any calamity befalls his religion but feels upset if anyharm comes to his worldly life'.Fudhail Rahmatullah alaihe says; 'It is easy to join worldlypursuits, but very difficult to extricate oneself from them'. ADivine says, 'I am astonished at him who believes that death isinevitable and that it may come to him at any time but, still, hetakes pleasure in worldly pursuits. I am astonished at him whobelieves that Jahannam is a reality and that nobody knows what hislast abode in the Hereafter is going to be, but, still, findsoccasions to laugh. I am astonished at him who views the shifts offortune occurring in this world at all times but, still, feelssatisfied on receiving a worldly gain. I am astonished at him whobelieves in the Divine Decree (the belief that everything ispreordained and that everyone must get his alloted share), but stilltakes pain for worldly gains'.They say that an old Sheik, whose age was about two hundred years,came from Najran city to see Ameer Muaawiyya Radhiallaho anho. TheAmeer said to him, 'You have seen a good deal of this world in yourlong life. What is your opinion about it?' The Sheikh replied, 'Afew years of ease and a few years of pain. There are births, anddeaths every day and night. If there were no births, the world wouldcome to an end. Likewise, if there were births only, there would beno room left for the people to live in the world. (Hence, bothbirths and deaths should continue to occur, to keep the worldpopulation within moderate limits)'.Ameer Mu'aawiyya Radhiallaho anho said, 'Do you want any thing fromme? Tell me if I can do you any service'. The Sheikh said, 'Recallmy past life for me or postpone my death indefinitely'. The Ameersaid, 'I cannot do that'. The Sheikh said, 'Then I have nothing toask from you'.Abu Sulaiman Rahmathullah alaihe says:'No one can restrain himself from pleasures of this world, except hewhose heart is preoccupied with things of the Akhirah'.Maalik bin Dinaar Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'We have, as it were,agreed among ourselves to love this world; that is why no one givesgood counsel to another, nor forbids him from evil things. But AllahTa'ala will not leave us to our fate for ever. The punishment ofAllah may descend upon us unawares in any form, at any time!' HasanRahmatullah alaihe says: 'When Allah Ta'ala wishes well for anyone,He grants him a small amount or worldly wealth, then holds it backfrom him and, when he has exhausted his provisions, Allah Ta'alagrants him a little bit more. But he, who is considered contemptibleby Allah Ta'ala, is granted abundance of worldly goods'. One divineused to make Du'aa (supplication), thus, 'O Allah! O Sacred Being,Who possesseth the power to hold back the heavens from falling on theearth, prevent this worldly wealth from coming to me'.Muhammad Ibne Munkadir Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'Suppose a man fastspersistently, spends the whole night in Tahujjad salaat withouttaking rest, gives away generous amounts of money as Sadaqah, engagesin Jihaad and avoids sins; nevertheless, he will be summoned on theDay of Resurrection and made to appear before Allah Ta'ala. He willthen be required to explain why he set great value upon a thing (theworld) which had been declared as worthless by Allah Ta'ala, and whyhe regarded as insignificant a thing (the Akhirah) which had beendeclared by Allah Ta'ala to be of great value. Imagine how miserableand helpless he will feel! Then, what about ourselves who sufferfrom the same disease (love of the world) and also commit sins?Abdullah Ibne Mubaarak Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'Love of the worldand indulgence in sins have made our hearts wild and insensible toanything good'. Wahab Ibne Munabbeh Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'He whotakes pleasure in anything of this world strays from the path ofwisdom; while he who tramples his lusts underfoot, never allowingthem to raise their head, Shaitan is scared of even his shadow'.Imaam Shafi'ee Rahmatullah alaihe, advising one of his brothers inIslam said: 'This world is full of mud and slush where many personsslip. The world is an abode of humiliation. Its bustling life willgive place, in the end, to desolation, its dwellers will have totravel alone to their graves, its gathering disperses, its affluenceturns to poverty; its riches involve taking pains and lack of themmeans an easful life. So, turn to Allah Ta'ala with single-mindedconcentration. Be content with whatever sustenance Allah Ta'ala hasapportioned for you and do not borrow for this world out of yourstock of virtues meant for the Akhirah (i.e. do not indulge in thingswhich may have to be paid for in the Akhirah out of virtues which mayrun short on that Day of dire necessity (the Day of Judgement). Thelife of the world is like a shadow which vanishes in no time or likea leaning wall which is going to collapse very soon. Perform plentyof good deeds and entertain few worldly hopes about the distantfuture.Ibrahim Ibne Adham Rahmatullah alaihe asked someone, 'Which would youprefer: seeing somebody, in a dream giving you a Dirham (silver coin)or receiving a Dinaar (gold coin) while awake?' The man repliedthat, obviously receiving a Dinaar was preferable . At this, IbrahimRahmatullah alaihe said, 'You lie. For, if you love anything of thisworld, it is like taking pleasure in a thing you see in a dream.And, when you turn away from a boon of the Akhirah, it amounts todeclining it while awake'.Yahya Ibne Mu'aaz Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'Three persons are wise:(1) he who forsakes the world before being forsaken by it; (2) he whomakes preparation for the grave before the time comes for him toenter it; (3) he who wins the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala before he(dies and) goes to meet him'. He also says: 'This world is accursedto such an extent that merely longing for it makes you neglectful indevotion to Allah Ta'ala; what will happen when you become engrossedin worldly affairs'. Bakr Ibne Abdullah Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'Hewho, after achieving worldly benefits, feels secure against theirevil effect, is like one who covers fire with dry grass, in order toextinguish it'. Bundaar Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'When you hearworldly people talking about renunciation or worldly pleasures, besure that Iblees (Shaitan) befools them'.A Divine says, 'O people, perform good deeds during these days ofrespite (lifetime) and fear Allah! Do not be deceived by high hopesfor the distant future and forgetfulness of death. Take no thoughtof this world, for it is a deceitful wretch. It beautifies andadorns itself and beguiles you by fanciful hopes about the futurebut, in the end, lands you in temptations. It adorns itself for itsadmirers so that, after make-up, it looks like a newly-married brideon her wedding day. So, people fix their gaze upon her face, thehearts are fascinated by its charms and many men become enamoured ofits (fake) beauty. But this wretch has killed many of its admirersand forsaken, most helplessly, many of its lovers who counted uponits loyalty. Just consider and try to comprehend the reality of thisworld. It is a place abounding in things that are fatal to the souland it is so contemptible that its Creator has Himself condemned it.(Suppose a physician prepares a medicine and says that it containspoison and that you may take a very small dose of it only when itbecomes absolutely necessary. Now, if a foolish person were to takea much larger quantity in a single dose, it would be fatal for him.And, for someone not to heed the physician's warning, would be theheight of foolishness. All things of the world which are new today,will wear out and become old. Sovereignty in this world is shortlived; those who are in power will end in humiliation; affluence willultimately change into poverty; friendships will not last for long.In short, all that looks good in the world is doomed to perish. MayAllah bless you all! Wake up from lethargy and inaction.Rise from the slumber of negligence before it is too late, before itis rumoured about, 'So-and-so has fallen ill and there is little hopeof recovery. Direct us to some good physician. Call in someefficient doctor'. Then the doctors will be sent for, the physicianswill be called in, time and again, but everyone will say that thereis no hope of life. Then it will be whispered about; the man ismaking his will; his voice has become hoarse, rather it has choked hedoes not recognize anyone he is heaving deep breaths, he is moaningwith pain, his eyelashes droop. This is the time when thecircumstances of the Next World will be revealed unto you, but yourvoice will fail you and you will stutter, unable to express yourselfor speak a word. Your kinsmen, your son, your brother, your wifewill be standing near your bed, all weeping with bitter sorrow. Youwill look at their faces but will not speak a word. And then thesoul will begin to depart from the parts of your body, one after theother, till at last it leaves the body altogether and flies to theheavens above. The kinsmen will hurriedly arrange for the burial andthe mourners will be consoled, their grief lightened with weeping.The enemies rejoice over your death, the heirs will divide up yourproperty and you will be left to reap the consequences of yourdeeds. (This is the real significance of this life).Hasan Basri Rahmatullah alaihe wrote in a letter to Amir-ul-Mo'mineenUmar Ibne Abdul Aziz Rahmatullah alaihe, after praising Allah Ta'alaand invoking His choicest blessings (Salaat, onRasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). 'The world is a transitoryplace, where men stay for a brief while, and go on a journey again,bound for the Unknown. It is not a permanent abode. AdamAlaihissalam was sent down to this world as a punishment (1) for alapse that he happened to commit in Jannah, i.e. it is a prison-housewhere man has been sent as a punishment. So, you should be on yourguard: One's most valuable asset for the journey is non-attachment tothe world and its pleasures; and the really rich are those who,though poor, possess a sublime unconcern for worldly attractions.(Those who seem to be poor but have contented minds are reallyrich). This world is all the time busy leading men to their ruin: ithumiliates those who hold it dear; it leads into dependence (onothers) all those who wish to amass its wealth. It is like a poisonwhich men take unknowingly and die'.'So, live in the world as though you were a wounded patient who iscareful and cautious about everything so that he may regain hishealth; and takes bitter medicines, lest his disease should drag onlonger. You should beware of this treacherous, deceitful, tricksythat adorns itself for seducing people and lands them in misery. Itvisits people with fanciful hopes and beguiles those who try to winits favours. It beautifies itself for its admirers and, after make-up, looks like a bride, on whom people fix their eyes and becomeenamoured of its false beauty, but this wretch is hostile toeverybody. Still, one wonders why the survivors do not learn alesson. Nor do the scholars, who know the word of Allah, learn alesson from His saying (on depreciation of this world). The admirersof the world are deceived when they see their chance of worldlydesires getting fulfilled'.'They become engrossed in the world and ignore the Akhirah. And whatfollows is shear remorse and utter sorrow, for death overpowers themwith its agonies and harrowing pains, and, in addition, there isgrief over parting with the world and its prized possessions. Thefact is that he who craves for the world can never see thefulfillment of his desires; nor does he find peace and respite fromlabour till he departs from the world, without having prepared forhim eternal life. O Ameer-ul-Mo'mineen! Be on your guard againstworldly attractions especially during the hours of joy andprosperity, for, the world drags those who trust it, into somemisfortune as soon as it finds them experiencing brief moments ofjoy. He who is happy in the world is suffering from an illusion andhe who is after making (excessive) profit will come to harm'.'The ease and comfort of this world is mixed with hardships and lifein it is destined to perish. Its joys are mingled with sorrow;whatever is past cannot be recalled, and all thats lying ahead, isuncertain. The hopes of this world are false. Whatever seems to bepure in this world is, in reality, polluted; its luxuries are gainedwith hard labour and man, in this world, is in danger at all times.If he had sense, he would find the pleasures to be perilous andconstantly haunted by misfortunes. Even if Allah Ta'ala, Who is theCreator of this world, had not warned mankind against its evils, thetreacherous nature of the world itself would have served as asufficient warning. Nevertheless, Allah Ta'ala Himself has advisedthat it is of no value in His estimation and that, although He hascreated it, He has never looked at it with appreciation'.'The world presented itself, with all its treasures, beforeRasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam, who did not accept it, norshowed any interest in it. For, he did not want to approve a thingrejected by Allah. That is why Allah Ta'ala has purposely turned thehearts of His pious men away from it and granted it, in abundance, toHis enemies (the non-believers). But some people who have set theirheart on the world, see the kaafirs in affluence and wrongly thinkthat they have been favoured by Allah Ta'ala. They do not realisehow little, in the world, was granted by AllahTa'ala to RasulullahSallallaho alaihe wasallam who had to tie up stones over his belly inorder to numb the pangs of hunger'.A Hadith says that once Allah Ta'ala said to MusaaAlaihissalam: 'When you find worldly riches coming to you, be sure itis a punishment for your sins; and if you see poverty and hungercoming, welcome it and say, this is the distinguishing mark of thepious '. And, let him who wants to follow the example of EisaaAlaihissalam, mark his words: 'Hunger is my curry (when one ishungry, even plain bread tastes as delicious as the bread taken withcurry ); my distinguishing mark is fear of Allah; my dress is ofcoarse wool; I bask in the sun for warmth and the light of the moonis my lamp; my feet are my riding-beast; my food and my fruit is thegrass that grows on the earth; I rise in the morning with nothingwith me and when the evening comes I have nothing in my possession.But there is no one in the world richer than myself'. (Contented inmind and with a sublime sense of self-sufficiency).On this subject, many other sayings of the Ambiya alaihimussalam, theSahabah Radhiallaho anhum and great saints Rahmatullah alaihim arefound in religious books. One point, however, should be clearlyunderstood: Undoubtedly, truly virtuous and commendable is the lifeof devotion and austerities indicated in the sayings and biographicalaccounts of these pious souls. Nevertheless, one should makeallowance for one's own infirmity and lack of capability and try toemulate them only to the extent of one's capacity. These glimpsesfrom the lives of the pious beings are meant to impress our readerswith the true standards of (virtuous) life. One may lead a lessaustere life, if it becomes necessary to do so, in consideration ofone's ill health or bodily infirmity.This can be illustrated by a familiar example; that of a patient whodoes not fast during the Holy month of Ramadhan. Obviously, fastingis obligatory during this month but, if someone cannot fast owing toweak health or because the doctor says it is injurious to his health,he will not observe fasting. It is obvious that fasting is, forevery Mo'min, a highly appreciated obligation during this month. Thepatient, though exempted from fasting, would love to observe it likeevery true Muslim. Similarly, as we cannot fully live up to theausterity demanded by pious life, owing to our weak will-power andpoor health, we are obliged to attach ourselves to worldly efforts,to the extent of our needs. But we should be conscious of ownweaknesses which have prevented us from living up to the standards;and believe sincerely that true religious life is the life led byRasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam the life of AmbiyaAlaihissalam, and that of the great Divines Rahmatullah alaihim whosesayings have been quoted above.Besides, we should develop a true awareness of the insignificance ofthis world, of its being unworthy of our affections, as a temporaryabode. Although we are weak and feel obliged to indulge in worldlymatters, we should try so that these truths about the world may getrooted in our minds. And, we should not only talk of them, butbelieve that these facts are absolutely true. For, there are noreasons to regard this wretched world as of any real consequence.

From here.

Spiritual Advice 1

Imaam Ghazali Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'The world is going to perishvery soon. It will endure; it makes false promises and never fulfillsthem; it seems to be at rest but, in reality, it is fleeting, thoughits motion is not perceptible to the senses. People become consciousof its fleeting motion when it forsakes them altogether. It is like ashadow that is in motion all the time but its movement is notperceptible'. Once, when there was a mention of the world, beforeHasan Basri Rahmatullah alaihe, he stated, 'It is like a dream thatthe people have, in sleep; or like a shadow always in motion. Thewise cannot be deceived by things like this'. Imaam Hasan Radhiallahoanho used to recite this couplet frequently: 'O people who are givento the pleasures of the world; which wont endure; remember it is merefolly to be deceived by a moving shadow!' Yunus Ibne Ubaid Rahmatullah alaihe says that he has suggested tohimself the following similitude about the world: 'A man is asleep anddreams many things, good or bad. Suddenly he wakes up and the dreamis shattered. Similarly, all men in the world are asleep; and allthat they see or do is a dream. When they die, they wake up from theslumber and there is no substance in the worldly joys or sorrows'.They say that, Eisaa Alaihissalam was shown the reality of this worldin a vision. He saw it as a very old toothless woman who was shownwearing a bright dress, with all kinds of ornaments, and finery, tolook like a bride. When Eisaa Alaihissalam asked, 'How many timeshave you already been married? She said, 'Too numerous to becounted'. Eisaa Alaihissalam then asked her, 'Did your husbands dieor did they divorce you?' 'No! I killed them all', she replied. Hesaid, 'Cursed be your remaining husbands who do not learn a lessonfrom the fate of those who have been killed by you, one after theother'. Indeed, the world is like an old hag who adorns herself withgorgeous clothes. People are deceived by her appearance, but they aresoon disillusioned when they uncover its face to see its ugliness andreal nature. Alaa Ibne Zayaad Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'I saw an oldhag, in a dream, who was wearing fine clothes, ornaments, etc., andwas adorned with all manner of beautiful things. There was a bigcrowd of people around her who were watching her with great interest. I went close to her but, when I looked at her face, I was astonishedat all those who stood there, watching. I asked her (in the dream),'Who are you?' She said, 'Do'nt you recognise me?' I replied, 'No, Ido not', She said, 'I am the world'. 'May Allah guard me againstyou', I prayed. She said, 'If you want to be safe from me, abhorDirhams (wealth)'. Ibne Abbas Radhiallaho anho says: 'On the Day of Resurrection, the world will be brought before thepeople. It would look like an old hag, with blue sunken eyes andprotruding teeth. People will be asked, 'Do you recognise her'. Theywill say, 'May Allah protect us all! Who is this monster?' Then theywill be told, 'This is the world, the world for which you killed oneanother, severed blood relationship, felt jealous of one another,nourished grudge against others; it is the world that deceived youall'. Then this old hag will be hurled into Jahannam. She will cry,'Call my admirers! Send my followers with me to Jahannam'. ThenAllah Ta'ala will give the command: 'Send to Jahannam all those whofollowed this world'. There are three stages for every individual in the world: (1) from thebeginning of creation to the time of his birth; (2) the periodstretching from the time of his death to eternity; (3) the interveningperiod between his birth and death. Now, if we measure this thirdperiod against the long vistas of eternity, our life-span is indeed avery short period. On the same subject, there is a Hadith ofRasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam: 'What interest can I have inthe world? I am just like a traveller who sits in the shade of a treefor a while at noon, then walks ahead and leaves the tree behind'.Undoubtedly, he who regards the world in the manner of RasulullahSallallaho alaihe wasallam, will be least interested in it; littlewill he care whether this short period is spent in joy or sorrow, incomforts or in hardships. It occurs in another Hadith that: Once when Rasulullah Sallallahoalaihe wasallam saw that a Sahabi Radhiallaho anho was building ahouse with mortar, he said, 'Death is nearer to you than thisbuilding'. According to the other Hadith, Rasulullah Sallallahoalaihe wasallam once said, 'The man devoted to worldly interests islike a person walking on water. Can anyone walk on water withoutgetting his feet wet?' This Hadith shows the ignorance of those whoare heard saying, 'Our bodies derive sensual pleasures out of worldlythings, but our souls are not contaminated by it, neither are ourhearts enamoured of it'. Such people are tricked by Shaitan intoholding such views. The fact is that, if worldly things are snatchedaway from these people, they will get upset at the loss. Then, as aperson walking on water cannot, in any way, protect his feet fromgetting wet, a man who indulges in worldly pursuits does, ofnecessity, affect his soul adversely. Eisaa Alaihissalam says: 'Let me tell you the truth! Just as apatient, when he is seriously ill cannot enjoy food, so a worldlyminded person cannot experience devotion in his prayers. And, as ariding beast gets stubborn if nobody has ridden it for a long time,similarly, the hearts of men, if they are not softened with theremembrance of death and rigorous devotional practices, become hardand not disposed to worship. And let me tell you another truth aboutlife. A goat skin bag proves a good container for honey (or water,etc.) as long as it is not torn. But when it is torn, honey is notput in it any more. Similarly, the human heart can contain wisdom aslong as it is not torn by lusts, corrupted by greed or hardened byindulgence in good things of life. Besides, there is another pointworthy of note: the lusts of this world have a honeyed taste. But, inthe end, at the time of death, they become noxious and disgustful'. Some Divines have written that the more absorbed a person is inworldly life, the greater will be his disgust for it at the time ofdeath. They illustrate the point by means of an example: if a persontakes sumptuous food, i.e. rich in fats, his stools are morefoul-smelling than those of a person who eats plain food. After whathas been said against the world it is very important to consider whatthe term 'world' signifies, for, there are many Verses of the HolyQur'an and Ahadith deprecating the world. It should be borne in mindthat the term 'world' (Dunya) applied to all the circumstances ofman's life before death: all that he does, thinks or feels.Similarly, the circumstances of the life after death are called'Akhirah'. Now, things concerning life before death may be subdividedinto three broad categories:- 1. Things which, as soon as a man dies, are carried on to the nextworld with him. These are his knowledge of Deen and the good deedsperformed purely for winning the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala. These two,knowledge and good deeds, are related to the Akhirah and theyconstitute one's Deen and cannot, therefore, be called worldly things,even though one may derive pleasure out of them, and such people mayhave no relish for food, drink, sleep or even marriage. 2. Sensual pleasure of sinful deeds and exclusive indulgence inthings that are lawful to indulge only to a restricted extent - forexample, piles of gold and silver, gorgeous clothes, good lookingbeasts for riding, lofty palaces, delicious food. All these thingsare purely worldly things, which have been condemned in the foregoingpages. 3. In between these two extremes - the purely religious and theexclusively worldly - there are the bare necessities of life, whichhelp a person in performing good deeds for the Akhirah, for example,food that sustains life, sleep, plain dress which is necessary forprotection against heat or cold. All such things, which are necessaryfor life or good for health or which help a person in his preparationfor the Akhirah, are also excluded from the category or 'Worldlythings', as they form a part of religion and pertain to the akhirah,provided that one indulges in them to the extent of necessity and forthe sake of gaining strength for religious duties. On the contrary,if these things are indulged in for the sake of sensual pleasures orfor the fulfillment of the heart's desires, they will also be termedas worldly pursuits. My father (May Allah brighten his grave with heavenly light) used tonarrate to us a story very often: 'There was a person who wanted to goto Panipat on some urgent errand. Between his village and Panipatcity, there flowed the river Jamna which was, as it chanced, in floodat that time and could not be crossed even with a boat. He wasgreatly worried and did no know what to do. People told him thatthere lived a Divine in such and such a jungle and that if he wentthere and told him about his difficulty, the pious man would find away out and suggest some means of going across the river. They saidthat the Divine would be greatly annoyed and would refuse to help out,but if he persisted, not giving way to despair, the Divine would bemoved and grant him some assistance. So, the man went to the forest and met the saint who lived in a smallcottage, with his wife and children. The man wept and cried and saidhe was in great difficulty as he had to appear in the court and therewere no means to cross the river. At first, the Divine took him totask, as usual, and said he could do nothing as he had no power overthe river. But when the man showed great humility, he was moved andhe said, 'Go and say to the Jamna, I have been sent to you by a personwho never, even once, ate anything throughout his life, nor hadintercourse with his wife'. The man did as he had been told. Theriver suddenly stopped in its course and the man went across. As soonas he had crossed over, the Jamna began to flow again. But back in the cottage the wife of the Divine, who had heard him talkto the man, began to weep and cry, horrified by the slander implicitin his words. She said, 'You have put slander on my chastity andhumiliated me before this man. You said you ate nothing. Then howdid you grow fat and fleshy like an elephant? You may lie aboutyourself as you please, but how dare you speak thus about me beingyour wife and knowing only too well that there is not a grain of truthin it? Is it not a sheer slander on me? Does it not imply that thesechildren are not your legitimate issue?' The Divine said, 'This is noconcern of yours when I declare them to be my legitimate children'.But the lady would not be pursuaded. She continued to cry inhysterics, 'You called me an adulteress', At this, the divine said,'Take heed and listen carefully. Ever since I came of age, I havenever eaten anything to satisfy my own desire, but whatever I ate Idid so, with the sole intention of gaining strength for obeying theCommandments of Allah Ta'ala. And, whenever I made love with you, Idid so with the pure intention of fulfilling my obligations to you,never even once, have I done so for the satisfaction of my ownpassion.' The following is another Hadith,in which Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihewasallam is reported to have said, 'Every man has been created withthree hundred and sixty joints and every morning, he should giveSadaqah for every joint in his body (in gratitude for the soundness ofhis joints)'. When the Sahabah Radhiallaho anhum asked, 'ORasulullah, Who can give away so much Sadaqah every day?' RasulullahSallallaho alaihe wasallam said, 'To put some earth over some spittle,etc., lying in the Masjid is Sadaqah; If you remove from the road,something that may harm people, it is Sadaqah; and if you observe'Dhuha Salaat' (forenoon Nafl Salaat), it will suffice you as Sadaqahfor all these'. (Mishkat). Since every joint is engaged in devotion,while observing Salaat, it counts as Sadaqah for all the joints of thebody. In another Hadith, many other examples of such virtues havebeen given; it says: 'When you greet someone (i.e say Assalmo alaikum)or enjoin what is good, or forbid what is evil, or have intercoursewith your wife, it counts as Sadaqah for you; and observing twoRak'aat of forenoon (Dhuha) Salaat suffice you for various acts ofSadaqah, as it counts as Sadaqah for all joints of your body'. TheSahabah asked, 'O Rasulullah! In the intercourse with his wife onesatisfies his passion, how will it be treated as Sadaqah?' RasulullahSallallaho alaihe wasallam said, 'Would it not be a sin if he indulgedin something forbidden?' The Hadith means that it is an act of virtue to have intercourse withone's wife with the intention of protecting oneself from unlawfulindulgence in sex. Similarly, all such acts like eating food,drinkingwater, sleeping, wearing clothes, etc., are counted as acts ofSadaqah, if they are performed with the pure intention of fulfillingthe Commandments of Allah Ta'ala concerning these things. Imaam Ghazali Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'It is not unlawful orforbidden to indulge in the worldly pursuits; these become unlawfulwhen they prevent a person from attaining nearness to Allah Ta'ala.Similarly, poverty is not desirable in itself but it is commendablebecause there is nothing in it to distract a person or to lead themaway from the path of nearness to Allah. However, there have beenmany rich persons whose riches could not prevent them from attainingnearness to Allah Ta'ala, such as the Prophet Sulaiman Alaihissalam,the Khalifah Uthman, Abdur Rahman Ibne Auf and many others. Likewise,there are many people who are poor and their poverty prevents themfrom attaining nearness to Allah Ta'ala; because poverty, when it iscombined with greed for wealth, leads one astray from the path ofvirtue. Hence, it is the greed for wealth which is really unlawful orforbidden. And, it makes little difference whether the person who hasthis weakness achieves the object of his desire and become rich or hehas not achieved it, like a worldly minded poor man. As a matter of fact, the world is loved by those who, rich or poor,are negligent towards remembrance of Allah Ta'ala: the poor manenamoured of the world is like a forsaken lover, ever pining for itand yet unable to attain it; the rich man is like a lover united withhis beloved, too anxious for its preservation and too engrossed inenjoying it to engage himself in remembrance of Allah Ta'ala.However, as a general rule, the poor ones are less exposed to trialsand temptations than the rich who have fallen a prey to itstemptations. This fact also explains what the Sahabah Radhiallahoanhum used to say, about themselves: 'We were tried with theafflictions of poverty, we exercised patience (and we weresuccessful). Then we were tried with the abundance of wealth, but wecould not keep ourselves from temptation'. It is true that, in prosperity, most people cannot protect themselvesfrom the harmful effects of wealth and such instances are extremelyrare where we find a person capable of guarding himself against theevil influence of the wealth inspite of his possessing it. That iswhy there are numerous Ayaat in the Holy Qur'an and many Ahadith ofRasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam which admonish men against theharmful influence of involvement in worldly pursuits. At any rate, itis beneficial for everybody to avoid indulgence in wealth. That iswhy the divines have said that fondling money (turning over coins,currency, etc, in the hands) sucks out sweetness from one's faith(Imaan). Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam has said, 'For every people(Ummah), there has been a 'calf' (idol-god or false deity) that theyworshipped; the 'calf' (idol-god) for my Ummah is money and gold.(i.e. they adore it just as other people worshipped their idols), andthe 'Calf' of the Ummah of Musaa Alaihissalam was also moulded out ofgold and silver ornaments. (Ihyaa). And, it is the privilege of theAmbiyaa Alaihissalam and the great saints alone that gold, silver,water and stones are of equal value in their sight, an attitude whichis strengthened further by austerities and rigorous acts of selfmortification. In this matter, when the world, with its beauty andadornments, presented itself before Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihewasallam, he said to it, 'Keep away from me'. Ali Radhiallaho anho once said, 'O yellow ore (gold)! O white ore(silver)! Beguile someone else! (I will not be deceived by you)'.As a matter of fact, true riches consist only in possessing a heartunattached to the worldly wealth. There is a Hadith of RasulullahSallallaho alaihe wasallam to the effect that: 'Riches do not come from abundance of wealth, but true riches consistin having a heart with a sublime sense of Self-sufficiency'. Sinceevery body cannot attain to this perfect state of mind, so it is saferto keep away from wealth. For, if a person possesses wealth, hisheart will inevitably become attached to it, even though he beaccustomed to give away things as 'Sadaqah' and this attachment isfatal to the soul. As a rule, the more involved a person is in theworld, the farther and the more estranged he is from Allah Ta'ala. Onthe other hand, if somebody is less attached to worldly wealth owingto his poverty, and he is a Muslim, he will be inevitably intimatewith Allah Ta'ala. For, the human heart must of necessity be occupiedand inspired with love of one thing or the other: if a heart'sconnection with all created things is severed, it will naturally seeknearness to Allah Ta'ala. A rich man is often deceived by believing that he is not in love withwealth; it is a big fallacy and mere illusion. The fact is that lovefor the world is latent in his heart, but he is not conscious of it.When something of the world is lost or stolen, he realises how deeplyhe loves worldly goods. If someone wishes to verify it by experiment,let him distribute his property among the people. If he becomesworried after giving it away, he must certainly be in love withproperty; but, if after having given it away, he does not even so asthink of it and forgets about it altogether, then his heart isassuredly free from love of the world. Furthermore, the less enamored of the world a person is, the greaterwill be his reward for the acts of devotion; the reason being that allhymns (glorifying Allah Ta'ala) and devotional practises are not mereexcercises of the tongue or the body, but are meant to exert spiritualinfluence on the heart; if a person's heart is not occupied with thethoughts of the world, he is more capable of receiving deeperimpressions. Dahaak Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'He who goes to the market place, seessomething, and wishes to buy it, but cannot do so for want of money,but still remains patient, his reward will be greater than that of aperson giving away a thousand Dinaars (gold coins)as 'Sadaqah' for thecause of Allah Ta'ala'. When someone asked Bishr Bin HarithRahmatullah alaihe to offer Du'aa (supplication) for him, as hisfamily was large and he was in straitened circumstances, the Sheikhreplied, 'When your wife tells you that there is no food left in thehouse (and you are worried about it), that is the most opportune hourfor making Du'aa (supplication) and your Du'aa at that time will befar more acceptable to Allah Ta'ala than my Du'aa for you at thistime'. Besides on the Day of Resurrection, the least a man will suffer (forhis riches) is that he will have to render an account of his abundantproperty, which will take him a long time. We have quoted above aHadith to the effect that Abdur Rahman Ibne Auf Radhiallaho anho wasallowed to enter Jannah much later than his own companions, owing to(the prolonged accounting of) his abundant wealth. Abu Dardaa Radhiallaho anho once said on this account: 'I would notlike to do business even if my shop were at the gate of the Masjidenabling me to join congregational prayers and to engage myself inmeditation and remembrance of Allah Ta'ala, nor even if the shopbrought me a profit of fifty gold coins everyday and I gave away theentire amount as Sadaqah'. Someone asked, 'What harm could come to aperson doing such business'. He replied, 'Even so, it will take along time to render an account of it on the Last Day'. Sufyaan Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'The saints have chosen three thingsand the rich people have also chosen three things; The saints havechosen: (i) a body relaxed comfortably (ii) a care free heart and(iii) an easy reckoning on the Day of Resurrection. The rich havechosen: (i) bodily toil (ii) a heart occupied with worries and (iii) aprolonged reckoning on the Day of Resurrection'. (Ihya) There is an oft-quoted Hadith of Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallamto the effect that: 'On the Day of Resurrection) A man will be withthose whom he loves'. It is said that the Sahabah Radhiallaho anhumwere never so happy about anything, after their acceptance of Islam,as they were when they heard this Hadith. They had every reason to behappy because their hearts were inspired with great love for AllahTa'ala and His Rasul Sallallaho alaihe wasallam, which was manifest intheir faces even more brightly than the sun in the skies. Abu Bakr Radhiallaho anho says: 'He who is granted a taste of love forAllah Ta'ala, becomes free from the cares of seeking the world andshuns the society of people'. Abu Sulaiman Daarani Rahmatullah alaihesays: 'There are men, created by Allah Ta'ala, who are sowhole-heartedly attached to Him that even Jannah, with all itsbounties and eternal bliss, cannot distract their minds fromcontemplation of Allah Ta'ala. How can the temporal world engagetheir attention?' It is said that once Eisaa Alaihissalam came upon a group of peoplewho were thin and weak in body, pale of face. He asked, 'What hashappened to you?' They replied, 'Fear of Jahannam has reduced us tothis condition Eisaa alaihissalam said, 'Allah Ta'ala (in his infinitebounty) has made it incumbent upon Himself that He will protect fromJahannam all those who are fearful of it'. Then he went a few stepsfurther and came upon another group of people who were in worsecondition, weaker in body and with more worried faces. He asked,'What ails you?' And they replied that their fondness for Jannah, andlonging for its bounties, had made them so weak. He said, 'AllahTa'ala has taken upon himself the responsibility to bestow upon you(and the like of you) what you expect from Him'. He then went stillfurther and came upon another group of people who seemed to be weakerstill. They were weighed down and bent double with grief but theirfaces were radiant like a mirror, with Divine radiance (Noor). Eisaalaihissalam put them the same question and they answered, 'It is ourlove for Allah Ta'ala (and craving for reunion with Him) that hasreduced us to this state', Whereupon Eisaa alaihissalam said repeatingthe words thrice, 'You are the intimate ones! You are the favouritesof Allah!' Yahyaa Ibne Mu'aaz Rahmatullah alaihe says: 'In my estimation, thelove for Allah Ta'ala - even to the extent of a grain of mustard seedis far superior to seventy years of worship without love'.

From here.

Outback 'skeleton' recalls ordeal

A "walking skeleton" who emerged from the Australian Outback after being lost for 10 weeks has recalled how he survived on leeches and frogs.

Read more here.

The mystery of mind control

Deleting memories is simple with computers, but as the movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind shows, it's still - as far as humans are concerned - the stuff of science fiction. Or is it?

Read more here.

Revolutionary heart operation for girl

A 12-year-old girl is believed to have become the first UK patient to have her heart transplant reversed.
Doctors at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital acted when Hannah Clark's body rejected her donor heart - 10 years after her original transplant.
The donor heart was disconnected, and Hannah's own heart - which was never removed - was able to cope on its own.

Read the rest of this article here.

Natural light to reinvent bulbs

The clock is ticking for light bulbsA natural light source that could put the traditional light bulb in the shade has been invented by US scientists.
The organic light-emitting diode (OLED) emits a brilliant white light when attached to an electricity supply.
The material, described in the journal Nature, can be printed in wafer thin sheets that could transform walls, ceilings or even furniture into lights.
The OLEDs do not heat up like today's light bulbs and so are far more energy efficient and should last longer.
"We're hoping that this will lead to significantly longer device times lifetimes in addition to higher efficiency," said Professor Mark Thompson of the University of Southern California, one of the authors of the paper.

Read the rest of the article here.

BNP in turmoil as members row about 'ethnic' candidate

The British National party was riven last night over its decision to select the grandson of an asylum seeker to fight a seat in next month's local elections.
Sharif Abdel Gawad, whom the BNP describes as a "totally assimilated Greek-Armenian", was chosen to stand in a Bradford ward as part of the party's biggest ever electoral push.

Read the rest of the article here.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Your Brain's Pattern

Structured and organized, you have a knack for thinking clearly. You are very logical - and you don't let your thoughts get polluted with emotions. And while your thoughts are pretty serious, they're anything from boring. It's minds like yours that have built the great cities of the world!

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

How Evil Are You? Take the Quiz and get the code ...

http://www.blogthings.com/howevilareyouquiz/

The Folly of Man-Made Laws - 8

In Denver (Colorado) it is unlawful to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next-door neighbor.

Coincidence of words with same meaning in different and unrelated languages

An interesting read: http://members.aol.com/yahyam/coincidence.html

Men and Knowledge

Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad said:

Men are of four categories

i. A man who knows and knows that he knows: this man is a learned man, so follow him

ii. A man who knows but is not aware that he knows: this is a man asleep so awaken him;

iii. A man who does not know and knows that he does not know; this is a seeker of guidance, so guide him;

iv. A man who does not know and is unaware that he does not know: this is a ignorant man so reject him

Interesting Experiment

How This Started
I was sitting around one day, skimming through a pile of bills that I needed to pay. I looked over at a new, unopened roll of stamps that I had sitting in front of me, and I thought to myself, "$39... for a roll of stamps? Geez... You can't get much for $39 nowadays. Or can you...?"

The Idea
The way I looked at it, if I took $39 and went to buy groceries, I wouldn't be able to get all that much. On the flipside, if I took $39 to a casino and lost it all, I wouldn't be all that upset. With that said, I decided I was going to try something — I was going to take my roll of stamps and send 100 letters to 100 different companies, asking for free stuff. I figured that I couldn't do any worse than blowing the $39 at a casino, and who knows... maybe a few of these places would actually send me something good.

Read what happened @: http://www.the39dollarexperiment.com/

Blogger Code

Here is an interesting website. You go on it an generate your own blogging code and put it on your blog.

My blogging code is:
B1 d- t- k+ s+ u-- f++ i o x-- e l- c++

There is also a decoder here.

Hadith on Special Awlya

Pertaining to the exact number of Awliya (Saints, Friends of God) the following Ahadith provide some indication to their rank and status with some numbers:

1. Imam Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani relates a Hadith in his Magnum Opus "Hilyat-ul-Awliya":

On the authority of Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be well pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"Allah Almighty has created three hundred people, whose hearts are like that of Adam, and He created forty people whose hearts are like Moses. He also created seven people whose hearts are like that of Abraham, and he created five people with a heart like that of Gabriel, and three people with a heart like that of Mika'il and only one person with a heart like that of Rafa'il (Raphael). When such a person dies, Allah Almighty will replace him with one of the three. When one of such three dies, Allah Almighty will replace him with one of the five. When one of the seven dies, Allah Almighty will replace him with one of the forty, and when one of the forty dies, He will replace him with one of the three hundred and when one of the three hundred elite dies, Allah Almighty will replace him with someone He chooses from among the pious masses. Such a person will live among the people, and through his prayers (dua), by Allah Almighty's permission, life and death, rain and prosperity will come and calamity will be averted."

2. Imam Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani relates another Hadith on similar lines in "Hilyat-ul-Awliya":

On the authoruty of Sayyidina Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be well pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"Forty men from amongst my Ummah are such whose hearts are like that of Sayyidina Ibrahim's heart. By virtue of them, Allah Almighty protects His creation from calamities; it is they who are known as Abdaal." (Rest of Hadith same as above mentioned to the end).

3. Imam at-Tabaraani reports a Hadith in his "Al-Aswat" which again is on similar lines to Imam Abu Nu'aym's Hadith:

On the authority of Sayyidina Anas ibn Malik, may He be well pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah, may he be greeted with peace, said:

"The earth shall never be without forty men, whose hearts shall be upon Sayyidina Ibrahim, upon whom be peace. By virtue of them, the earth is in existence and by virtue of them (Allah Almighty) provides rain to you. From among them none dies but Allah Almighty replaces him with another."

4. Imam Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani relates another Hadith in "Hilyat-ul-Awliya":

On the authority of Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Amr, the Messenger of Allah may he be greeted with peace, said:

"The Akhyaar amongst my Ummah in every century are five hundred, and the Abdaal are forty and their number does not increase. Neither the five hundred nor forty diminish in number. When one among the forty Abdaal dies, Allah Almighty replaces him with one of the five hundred."

This last Ahadith has been mentioned by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may the mercy of Allah be upon him, in "Musnad-e-Ahmad" and Imam Waliddin al-Khatib at-Tabrizi in his "Mishkaat al-Masaabih" where both are major and important compilations of Hadith used by both students and Hadith Scholars of all the greatest ages till today. This hadith is the version reported by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in "Musnad-e-Ahmad".

5. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal realtes in "Musnad-e-Ahmad":

On the authority of Sayyidina Shurayh ibn Ubaid, may He be well pleased with him, that:

"When the people of Syria were mentioned in Imam Ali's presence, someone said: " O! Prince of the Believers, curse them!" Imam Ali, peace be upon him, replied: "No! I heard Allah Almighty's Messenger saying: ‘Abdaal will be in Syria. They are forty men; whenever one dies Allah Almighty replaces him with another man. By virtue of them (Allah Almighty) provides rain and by virtue of them (Allah Almighty) provides help against the enemies. By virtue of them (Allah Almighty's) punishment is averted from the Syrians." (Musnad-e-Ahmad)

Awliya

Among the Awliya there are four thousand who are hidden. They don't know one another and are themselves unaware of their excellent state, being hidden from themselves and from mankind. These elite beings are in the realm of 'general saint-ship' (Wilayat aama). The functionaries of Allah's court, involved in the Spiritual Administration are in the realm of 'special saint-ship' (Wilayat khaassa): They are classified in the hierarchy as:
1. Three hundred Akhyaar (good) - very good 'righteous' and upright servants of Allah’
2. Forty Abdaal (substitute)- the pegs of the universe, who live physically on the earth and who are 'substituted' (badal) every time one leaves the physical realm. . In a Hadith Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “There will be 40 Abdaal on the soil of Mulk-e-Sham (Syria) till the Day of Judgement. If one dies another will take his place”
3. Seven Abraar (pious) from among the Abdaal - spiritual guardians
4. Four Awtaad (pillars) from among the Abdaal
5. Three Nuqaba (leaders) and
6. One called Qutb or Ghawth.
The Abdaal, amongst whom the higher category is called Abraar and Awtaad are the deputies of the Qutb or Ghawth who is the main receiver of Allah's spiritual energy. All others receive spiritual energy through the Qutb. The Abraar and Awtaad are assigned as regional Qutb's in separate areas of the earth. All are answerable to the Supreme Qutb and to spiritual superiors within the network. The identity of the Qutb is veiled to the world due to the sensitive nature of the job. There is also no need for disclosure of his identity since his work is to filter Allah's energy into the world. The teachers of Tasawwuf or Shaykhs are made apparent and visible in the world, since people need contact with them. One of the Shaykhs may hold one of the positions of Qutb or Abdaal but, again, it is not necessary to disclose this.
Abu Muhammad Muhay ud-din Abd' al Qadir Jilani (Rahmatullah-alai) or Ghous al-Azam (The supreme Ghous) is unique. He was born as ‘one totally submitted’ (Nisbate Abdiat) and with everything submitting to him (Wilayate Muhammadi). ). This is the reason why in being a beloved (Mahboobiyat), He was called “Beloved of Allah’ (Mehboobe Subhani). He is unique and the leader amongst the Aulia. All Aulia are under him.

To read more, go here.

Gratitude

It is related that Abu 'Uthman was once riding in the street when a pot of ashes was thrown down upon him. He dismounted, and prostrated himself to God in gratitude, and then brushed the ashes from his clothes without saying a word. 'Shall you not rebuke them?' he was asked, but he replied, 'A man who deserves hellfire but receives only ashes cannot fairly be angry'.

Bush

International Campaign Against Television

Here.

Priorities

A professor stood before his Philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
“The golf balls are the important things - your Allah, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
“The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.
“The sand is everything else–the small stuff.
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
“The same goes for life. “If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
“Take time to get medical checkups.
“Take your partner out to dinner.
“Play another 18.
“There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
“Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter.
“Set your priorities.
“The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked.
“It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,there’s always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.”

From here.

Islamic Jokes

1
Mullah Nasruddin was walking down a street when he bumps into Yusef Islam,
a convert to Islam. "Salam-Alaikum brother Yusuf!" Mullah Nasruddin said excitedly.
"Alaikum-salam, brother!" replied Yusuf.
"I have this question I have been wanting to ask you for a LONG LONG time, and now, since you are here, may I ask it?" "
Go ahead, brother, you may." replied Yusuf.
"When you became a Muslim, did you cry?"
"Indeed I did." replied Yusuf.
"ME TOO! ME TOO!" exclaimed Mullah Nasruddin excitedly.
"When did you become Muslim?" asked Yusuf curiously.
"When I was born!" Mullah Nasruddin replied proudly.

2
Nasruddin and the Will of God:
"May the Will of Allah be done," a pious man was saying about something or the other.
"It always is, in any case," said Mullah Nasruddin.
"How can you prove that, Mullah?" asked the man.
"Quite simply. If it wasn't always being done, then surely at some time or another my will would be done, wouldn't it?"

3
One day , one of Mullah Nasruddin's friend came over and wanted to borrow his donkey for a day or two. Mullah, knowing his friend, was not kindly inclined to the request, and came up with the excuse that someone had already borrowed his donkey. Just as Mullah uttered these words, his donkey started braying in his backyard. Hearing the sound, his friend gave him an accusing look, to which Mullah replied: "I refuse to have any further dealings with you since you take a donkey's word over mine."

Kataragama - The land of Khidr

Little is it known that Kataragama, the centre of the Skanda cult among Hindus and Buddhists, has a place in Muslim hearts as well. The sanctity attached to the place by local Muslims revolves round not on Skanda, but a mysterious being called al-Khidr or 'The Green One' whose presence is believed to pervade the sanctuary with which he is associated, namely, the Khalir Makam in the Muslim quarter of Kataragama not far from the Menik Ganga. Indeed, there are those who believe that it was this Khidr who gave his name to Kataragama.
That the area was formerly known as Kadaragama is borne out by the Dhatuvamsa of Kakusandha written in the 13th or 14th century. Be that as it may, the Muslim association with Kataragama goes back to hoary antiquity though we cannot say exactly when it all started.

Read the rest of this interesting article here.

Really Funny Asian Backstreet Boys

Fantastic Ping Pong Matrix-Style

The Real Life Simpson's Intro ... Hilarious

The Folly of Man-Made Laws - 7

Since 1952 it has been illegal to land a flying saucer or other UFO in the vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape (France).

The Zikr of Laa Ilaaha Illallah

It has been handed down to us that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him, used to insert this phrase (la ilaha illa'Llah) into his conversation: he would utter a few words, say la ilaha illa'Llah, and then resume what he was saying. This pertains to the Station of Subsistence (baqa) which follows that of Extinction (fana).

From: The Zikr of Laa Ilaaha Illallah.

Read Quotations about the Internet ...

... here.

One-Eyed and Noseless Cat

GRANBY, N.Y. - The one-eyed, noseless kitten that inspired an international debate last year over whether it was a hoax is coming to a new museum of oddities in central New York.

Read more here.

A REALLY funny two-legged dog

Watch it here.

The Mawlana Speaks

Come, come whoever you are
An unbeliever, a fire-worshipper, come
ours is not a school of despair
Even if you have broken your vows a hundred times
Come, come again

[Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

Dhikr by Word and by Action

From Imam Ahmad Sirhindi (Allah be pleased with him)
(famous as ‘Imam Rabbani’ and ‘Mujaddid Alf Thani’)

There are many different ways of dhikr (remembrance of Allah), both through obeying Allah's Laws, and through repeating certain phrases. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi helps to clarify the relationship between the different ways of dhikr in the following passage. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi says:
Remember that dhikr means to avoid forgetting Allah in any way that is possible. Contrary to what people think it is not confined to repeating the formula of nafi wa ithbat (i.e. la ilaha illa Allah) or repeating the ism dhat (i.e. Allah). In fact every act in compliance to the commands of Allah, whether positive or negative, is to remember Allah. Even the buying and selling in which you observe the regulations of the Shar` is dhikr; similarly, the marriage and divorce which is carried out according to the laws of the Shari`ah is dhikr. For one who performs these acts according to the Shar` is conscious of the Giver of the Shar` and does not forget Him.
To be sure, the dhikr which consists in saying the names and attributes of Allah is more effective and more helpful in generating the love of Allah, and winning His nearness; and the dhikr which consists in submitting to Allah's commands, in carrying out His orders or abstaining from His prohibitions, is less effective in producing these qualities. However, some people have acquired these qualities as a result of practising dhikr in the sense of obeying Allah's commands and avoiding His prohibitions. But such cases are few. Khwajah Naqshband has said about Zain 'l-Din Tabyadi that he reached Allah by way of knowledge.
On the other hand, the dhikr which is saying the names and attributes of Allah, is a means (wasilah) to the dhikr which is obeying the rules of the Shar` in life. For it is impossible to observe the rules of the Shar` in all matters unless one has a strong love for the Giver of the Shar`, and the strong love of Allah depends upon the dhikr of Allah by saying His names and attributes. Hence one has to say dhikr in order to do this noble dhikr.

[Quoted from "Sufism and Shari`ah: A study of Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's Effort to Reform Sufism," by Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari (The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, UK, 1986), pp. 232-3. Originally from Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's letters, Vol. II:46. I have replaced the word "God" in the translation with the word "Allah".]

From: http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/QA00000767.aspx

Not Our Fruit

A very interesting story to take some lessons from...A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors,not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God.However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife.The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island.He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?""My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.""You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of My blessings.""Tell me," the first man asked the voice,"What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?""He prayed that all your prayers be answered."For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

From: http://ahmed2004uk.blogspot.com/2006/03/not-our-fruit.html

Of donkeys, politicians and wives

In praise of donkeys which 'never get upset'A school text book in the western Indian state of Rajasthan that compares politicians unfavourably to donkeys is to have the offending chapter removed, following complaints from aggrieved politicians.

Read the rest of this article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk./1/hi/world/south_asia/4875430.stm

CSI 'helps criminals to escape'

Marg Helgenberger and William Petersen star in CSI
US crime drama CSI is helping criminals to escape justice, a senior policeman in Malaysia has said.

Read the Rest of this article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk./1/hi/entertainment/4875256.stm

Funny Video

The Folly of Man-Made Laws - 6

In California it is illegal for women to drive in a house coat.

Timing

"A stone thrown at the right time is better than gold given at the wrong time."
[Persian Proverb]

Must-See Islamic Link 3

www.Islamic-Finance.com

Cradle My Heart

Last night,
I was lying on the rooftop,
thinking of you.
I saw a special Star,
and summoned her to take you a message.
I prostrated myself to the Star
and asked her to take my prostration
to that Sun of Tabriz.
So that with his light, he can turn
my dark stones into gold.
I opened my chest and showed her my scars,
I told her to bring me news
of my bloodthirsty Lover. As I waited,
I paced back and forth,
until the child of my heart became quiet.
The child slept, as if I were rocking his cradle.
Oh Beloved, give milk to the infant of the heart,
and don't hold us from our turning.
You have cared for hundreds,
don't let it stop with me now.
At the end, the town of unity is the place for the heart.
Why do you keep this bewildered heart
in the town of dissolution?
I have gone speechless, but to rid myself
of this dry mood,
oh Saaqhi, pass the narcissus of the wine.

[Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi]

Culture Versus Religion

I have a theory. I believe that Islam treats every indigenous religion as a remnant of an original true monotheistic religion that has degenerated through the course of time. If you take that to be true - then you can treat the local religion as Isra'iliyat material. The scholars distinguish three kinds of the isra'iliyyat:

• Those known to be true because the revelation to the Prophet Muhammad(P) confirms them.
• Those known to be false, because the revelation to the Prophet Muhammad(P) rejects them.
• Those not known to be true or false, and we do not say they are true or false.

These set of rules are applied by hadith scholars when dealing with isra'iliyyat material. These rules are based on the hadith of the Prophet(P) recorded in various hadith collections:Sahi Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 12:
Narrated Abu Huraira:

The people of the Scripture (Jews) used to recite the Torah in Hebrew and they used to explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. On that Allah's Apostle said, "Do not believe the people of the Scripture or disbelieve them, but say:-- "We believe in Allah and what is revealed to us." (2.136)

This way all anti-Islamic parts of the culture are rejected while parts of the local culture/religion can survive as there isnt a definite islamic ruling on it.

This would also explain how an amazing variety of cultures have been asccomodated bu Islam over the centuries.

The Fisherman And The Jinni

IT hath reached me, O auspicious King, that there was a fisherman well stricken in years who had a wife and three children, and withal was of poor condition. Now it was his custom to cast his net every day four times, and no more. On a day he went forth about noontide to the seashore, where he laid down his basket and, tucking up his shirt and plunging into the water, made a cast with his net and waited till it settled to the bottom. Then he gathered the cords together and haled away at it, but found it weighty. And however much he drew it landward, he could not pull it up, so he carried the ends ashore and drove a stake into the ground and made the net fast to it. Then he stripped and dived into the water all about the net, and left not off working hard until he had brought it up.
He rejoiced thereat and, donning his clothes, went to the net, when he found in it a dead jackass which had torn the meshes. Now when he saw it, he exclaimed in his grief, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah the Glorious, the Great!" Then quoth he, "This is a strange manner of daily bread," and he began reciting in extempore verse:
"O toiler through the glooms of night in peril and in pain, Thy toiling stint for daily bread comes not by might and main! Seest thou not the fisher seek afloat upon the sea His bread, while glimmer stars of night as set in tangled skein? Anon he plungeth in despite the buffet of the waves, The while to sight the bellying net his eager glances strain, Till joying at the night's success, a fish he bringeth home Whose gullet by the hook of Fate was caught and cut in twain. When buys that fish of him a man who spent the hours of night Reckless of cold and wet and gloom in ease and comfort fain, Laud to the Lord who gives to this, to that denies, his wishes And dooms one toil and catch the prey and other eat the fishes."
Then quoth he, "Up and to it. I am sure of His beneficence, Inshallah!" So he continued:
"When thou art seized of Evil Fate, assume The noble soul's long-suffering. 'Tis thy best. Complain not to the creature, this be 'plaint From one most Ruthful to the ruthlessest."
The fisherman, when he had looked at the dead ass, got it free of the toils and wrung out and spread his net. Then he plunged into the sea, saying, "In Allah's name!" and made a cast and pulled at it, but it grew heavy and settled down more firmly than the first time. Now he thought that there were fish in it, and he made it fast and, doffing his clothes, went into the water, and dived and haled until he drew it up upon dry land. Then found he in it a large earthern pitcher which was full of sand and mud, and seeing this, he was greatly troubled. So he prayed pardon of Allah and, throwing away the jar, wrung his net and cleansed it and returned to the sea the third time to cast his net, and waited till it had sunk. Then he pulled at it and found therein potsherds and broken glass. Then, raising his eyes heavenward, he said: "O my God! Verily Thou wettest that I cast not my net each day save four times. The third is done and as yet Thou hast vouchsafed me nothing. So this time, O my God, deign give me my daily bread."
Then, having called on Allah's name, he again threw his net and waited its sinking and settling, whereupon he haled at it but could not draw it in for that it was entangled at the bottom. He cried out in his vexation, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah!" and he began reciting:
"Fie on this wretched world, an so it be I must be whelmed by grief and misery. Tho' gladsome be man's lot when dawns the morn, He drains the cup of woe ere eve he see. Yet was I one of whom the world when asked 'Whose lot is happiest?' would say, ''Tis he!'"
Thereupon he stripped and, diving down to the net, busied himself with it till it came to land. Then he opened the meshes and found therein a cucumber-shaped jar of yellow copper, evidently full of something, whose mouth was made fast with a leaden cap stamped with the seal ring of our Lord Solomon, son of David (Allah accept the twain!). Seeing this, the fisherman rejoiced and said, "If I sell it in the brass bazaar, 'tis worth ten golden dinars." He shook it, and finding it heavy, continued: "Would to Heaven I knew what is herein. But I must and will open it and look to its contents and store it in my bag and sell it in the brass market." And taking out a knife, he worked at the lead till he had loosened it from the jar. Then he laid the cup on the ground and shook the vase to pour out whatever might be inside. He found nothing in it, whereat he marveled with an exceeding marvel. But presently there came forth from the jar a smoke which spired heavenward into ether (whereat he again marveled with mighty marvel), and which trailed along earth's surface till presently, having reached its full height, the thick vapor condensed, and became an Ifrit huge of bulk, whose crest touched the clouds while his feet were on the ground. His head was as a dome, his hands like pitchforks, his legs long as masts, and his mough big as a cave. His teeth were like large stones, his nostrils ewers, his eyes two lamps, and his look was fierce and lowering.
Now when the fisherman saw the Ifrit, his side muscles quivered, his teeth chattered, his spittle dried up, and he became blind about what to do. Upon this the Ifrit looked at him and cried, "there is no god but the God, and Solomon is the prophet of God," presently adding: "O Apostle of Allah, slay me not. Never again will I gainsay thee in word nor sin against thee in deed." Quoth the fisherman, "O Marid, diddest thou say Solomon the Apostle of Allah? And Solomon is dead some thousand and eight hundred years ago, and we are now in the last days of the world! What is thy story, and what is thy account of thyself, and what is the cause of thy entering into this cucurbit?"
Now when the Evil Spirit heard the words of the fisherman, quoth he: "There is no god but the God. Be of good cheer, O Fisherman!" Quoth the fisherman, "Why biddest thou me to be of good cheer?" And he replied, "Because of thy having to die an ill death in this very hour." Said the fisherman, "Thou deservest for thy good tidings the withdrawal of Heaven's protection, O thou distant one! Wherefore shouldest thou kill me, and what thing have I done to deserve death, I who freed thee from the jar, and saved thee from the depths of the sea, and brought thee up on the dry land?" Replied the Ifrit, "Ask of me only what mode of death thou wilt die, and by what manner of slaughter shall I slay thee." Rejoined the fisherman, "What is my crime, and wherefore such retribution?" Quoth the Ifrit, "Hear my story, O Fisherman!" And he answered, "Say on, and be brief in thy sayinig, for of very sooth my life breath is in my nostrils."
Thereupon quoth the Jinni: "Know that I am one among the heretical Jann, and I sinned against Solomon, David-son (on the twain be peace!), I together with the famous Sakhr al-Jinni, whereupon the Prophet sent his Minister, Asaf son of Barkhiya, to seize me. And this Wazir brought me against my will and led me in bonds to him (I being downcast despite my nose), and he placed me standing before him like a suppliant. When Solomon saw me, he took refuge with Allah and bade me embrace the True Faith and obey his behests. But I refused, so, sending for this cucurbit, he shut me up therein and stopped it over with lead, whereon he impressed the Most High Name, and gave his orders to the Jann, who carried me off and cast me into the midmost of the ocean. There I abode a hundred years, during which I said in my heart, 'Whoso shall release me, him will I enrich forever and ever.'
"But the full century went by and, when no one set me free, I entered upon the second fivescore saying, 'Whoso shall release me, for him I will open the hoards of the earth.' Still no one set me free, and thus four hundred years passed away. Then quoth I, 'Whoso shall release me, for him will I fulfill three wishes.' Yet no one set me free. Thereupon I waxed wroth with exceeding wrath and said to myself, 'Whoso shall release me from this time forth, him will I slay, and I will give him choice of what death he will die.' And now, as thou hast released me, I give thee full choice of deaths."
The fisherman, hearing the words of the Ifrit, said, "O Allah! The wonder of it that I have not come to free thee save in these days!" adding, "Spare my life, so Allah spare thine, and slay me not, lest Allah set one to slay thee." Replied the Contumacious One, "There is no help for it. Die thou must, so ask by way of boon what manner of death thou wilt die." Albeit thus certified, the fisherman again addressed the Ifrit, saying, "Forgive me this my death as a generous reward for having freed thee," and the Ifrit, "Surely I would not slay thee save on account of that same release." "O Chief of the Ifrits," said the fisherman, "I do thee good and thou requitest me with evil! In very sooth the old saw lieth not when it saith:
"We wrought them weal, they met our weal with ill, Such, by my life! is every bad man's labor. To him who benefits unworthy wights Shall hap what hapt to Ummi-Amir's neighbor."
Now when the Ifrit heard these words he answered: "No more of this talk. Needs must I kill thee." Upon this the fisherman said to himself: "This is a Jinni, and I am a man to whom Allah hath given a passably cunning wit, so I will now cast about to compass his destruction by my contrivance and by mine intelligence, even as he took counsel only of his malice and his frowardness." He began by asking the Ifrit, "Hast thou indeed resolved to kill me?" And, receiving for all answer "Even so," he cried, "Now in the Most Great Name, graven on the seal ring of Solomon the son of David (peace be with the holy twain!), an I question thee on a certain matter, wilt thou give me a true answer?" The Ifrit replied "Yea," but, hearing mention of the Most Great Name, his wits were troubled and he said with trembling, "Ask and be brief."
Quoth the fisherman: "How didst thou fit into this bottle which would not hold thy hand- no, nor even thy foot- and how came it to be large enough to contain the whole of thee?" Replied the Ifrit, "What! Dost not believe that I was all there?" And the fisherman rejoined, "Nay! I will never believe it until I see thee inside with my own eyes." The Evil Spirit on the instant shook and became a vapor, which condensed and entered the jar little and little, till all was well inside, when lo! the fisherman in hot haste took the leaden cap with the seal and stoppered therewith the mouth of the jar and called out to the Ifrit, saying: "Ask me by way of boon what death thou wilt die! By Allah, I will throw thee into the sea before us and here will I build me a lodge, and whoso cometh hither I will warn him against fishing and will say: 'In these waters abideth an Ifrit who giveth as a last favor a choice of deaths and fashion of slaughter to the man who saveth him!"'
Now when the Ifrit heard this from the fisherman and saw himself in limbo, he was minded to escape, but this was prevented by Solomon's seal. So he knew that the fisherman had cozened and outwitted him, and he waxed lowly and submissive and began humbly to say, "I did but jest with thee." But the other answered, "Thou liest, O vilest of the Ifrits, and meanest and filthiest!" And he set off with the bottle for the seaside, the Ifrit calling out, "Nay! Nay!" and he calling out, "Aye! Aye!" Thereupon the Evil Spirit softened his voice and smoothed his speech and abased himself, saying, "What wouldest thou do with me. O Fisherman?" "I will throw thee back into the sea," he answered, "Where thou hast been housed and homed for a thousand and eight hundred years. And now I will leave thee therein till Judgment Day. Did I not say to thee, `Spare me and Allah shall spare thee, and slay me not lest Allah slay thee'? yet thou spurnedst my supplication and hadst no intention save to deal ungraciously by me, and Allah hath now thrown thee into my hands, and I am cunninger that thou." Quoth the Ifrit, "Open for me that I may bring thee weal." Quoth the fisherman: "Thou liest, thou accursed! Nothing would satisfy thee save my death, so now I will do thee die by hurling thee into this sea." Then the Marid roared aloud and cried: "Allah upon thee, O Fisherman, don't! Spare me, and pardon my past doings, and as I have been tyrannous, so be thou generous, for it is said among sayings that go current: 'O thou who doest good to him who hath done thee evil, suffice for the ill-doer his ill deeds, and do not deal with me as did Umamah to 'Atikah.'"
Asked the fisherman, "And what was their case?" And the Ifrit answered, "This is not the time for storytelling and I in this prison, but set me free and I will tell thee the tale." Quoth the fisherman: "Leave this language. There is no help but that thou be thrown back into the sea, nor is there any way for thy getting out of it forever and ever. Vainly I placed myself under thy protection, and I humbled myself to thee with weeping, while thou soughtest only to slay me, who had done thee no injury deserving this at thy hands. Nay, so far from injuring thee by any evil act, I worked thee naught but weal in releasing thee from that jail of thine. Now I knew thee to be an evil-doer when thou diddest to me what thou didst, and know that when I have cast thee back into this sea, I will warn whosoever may fish thee up of what hath befallen me with thee, and I will advise him to toss thee back again. So shalt thou abide here under these waters till The End of Time shall make an end of thee." But the Ifrit cried aloud: "Set me free. This is a noble occasion for generosity, and I make covenant with thee and vow never to do thee hurt and harm- nay, I will help thee to what shall put thee out of want."
The fisherman accepted his promises on both conditions, not to trouble him as before, but on the contrary to do him service, and after making firm the plight and swearing him a solemn oath by Allah Most Highest, he opened the cucurbit. Thereupon the pillar of smoke rose up till all of it was fully out, then it thickened and once more became an Ifrit of hideous presence, who forthright administered a kick to the bottle and sent it flying into the sea. The fisherman, seeing how the cucurbit was treated and making sure of his own death, piddled in his clothes and said to himself, "This promiseth badly," but he fortified his heart, and cried: "O Ifrit, Allah hath said: 'Perform your covenant, for the performance of your covenant shall be inquired into hereafter.' Thou hast made a vow to me and hast sworn an oath not to play me false lest Allah play thee false, for verily He is a jealous God who respiteth the sinner but letteth him not escape. I say to thee as said the Sage Duban to King Yunan, 'Spare me so Allah may spare thee!'" The Ifrit burst into laughter and stalked away, saying to the fisherman, "Follow me."
And the man paced after him at a safe distance (for he was not assured of escape) till they had passed round the suburbs of the city. Thence they struck into the uncultivated grounds and, crossing them, descended into a broad wilderness, and lo! in the midst of it stood a mountain tarn. The Ifrit waded in to the middle and again cried, "Follow me," and when this was done he took his stand in the center and bade the man cast his net and catch his fish. The fisherman looked into the water and was much astonished to see therein varicolored fishes, white and red, blue and yellow. However, he cast his net and, hauling it in, saw that he had netted four fishes, one of each color. Thereat he rejoiced greatly, and more when the Ifrit said to him: "Carry these to the Sultan and set them in his presence, then he will give thee what shall make thee a wealthy man. And now accept my excuse, for by Allah, at this time I wot none other way of benefiting thee, inasmuch I have lain in this sea eighteen hundred years and have not seen the face of the world save within this hour. But I would not have thee fish here save once a day." The Ifrit then gave him Godspeed, saying, "Allah grant we meet again," and struck the earth with one foot, whereupon the ground clove asunder and swallowed him up.
The fisherman, much marveling at what had happened to him with the Ifrit, took the fish and made for the city, and as soon as he reached home he filled an earthen bowl with water and therein threw the fish, which began to struggle and wriggle about. Then he bore off the bowl upon his head and, repairing to the King's palace (even as the Ifrit had bidden him) laid the fish before the presence. And the King wondered with exceeding wonder at the sight, for never in his lifetime had he seen fishes like these in quality or in conformation. So he said, "Give those fish to the stranger slave girl who now cooketh for us," meaning the bondmaiden whom the King of Roum had sent to him only three days before, so that he had not yet made trial of her talents in the dressing of meat.
Thereupon the Wazir carried the fish to the cook and bade her fry them, saying: O damsel, the King sendeth this say to thee: 'I have not treasured thee, O tear o' me! save for stress time of me.' Approve, then, to us this day thy delicate handiwork and thy savory cooking, for this dish of fish is a present sent to the Sultan and evidently a rarity." The Wazir, after he had carefully charged her, returned to the King, who commanded him to give the fisherman four hundred dinars. He gave them accordingly, and the man took them to his bosom and ran off home stumbling and falling and rising again and deeming the whole thing to be a dream. However, he bought for his family all they wanted, and lastly he went to his wife in huge joy and gladness. So far concerning him.
But as regards the cookmaid, she took the fish and cleansed them and set them in the frying pan, basting them with oil till one side was dressed. Then she turned them over and behold, the kitchen wall clave asunder, and therefrom came a young lady, fair of form, oval of face, perfect in grace, with eyelids which kohl lines enchase. Her dress was a silken headkerchief fringed and tasseled with blue. A large ring hung from either ear, a pair of bracelets adorned her wrists, rings with bezels of priceless gems were on her fingers, and she hent in hand a long rod of rattan cane which she thrust into the frying pan, saying, "O fish! O fish! Be ye constant to your convenant?" When the cookmaiden saw this apparition she swooned away. The young lady repeated her words a second time and a third time, and at last the fishes raised their heads from the pan, and saying in articulate speech, "Yes! Yes!" began with one voice to recite:
"Come back and so will I! Keep faith and so will I! And if ye fain forsake, I'll requite till quits we cry!"
After this the young lady upset the frying pan and went forth by the way she came in and the kitchen wall closed upon her. When the cookmaiden recovered from her fainting fit, she saw the four fishes charred black as charcoal, and crying out, "His staff brake in his first bout," she again fell swooning to the ground. Whilst she was in this case the Wazir came for the fish, and looking upon her as insensible she lay, not knowing Sunday from Thursday, shoved her with his foot and said, "Bring the fish for the Sultan!" Thereupon, recovering from her fainting fit, she wept and informed him of her case and all that had befallen her. The Wazir marveled greatly and exclaiming, "This is none other than a right strange matter!" he sent after the fisher-man and said to him, "Thou, O Fisherman, must needs fetch us four fishes like those thou broughtest before."
Thereupon the man repaired to the tarn and cast his net, and when he landed it, lo! four fishes were therein exactly like the first. These he at once carried to the Wazir, who went in with them to the cookmaiden and said, "Up with thee and fry these in my presence, that I may see this business." The damsel arose and cleansed the fish, and set them in the frying pan over the fire. However, they remained there but a little while ere the wall clave asunder and the young lady appeared, clad as before and holding in hand the wand which she again thrust into the frying pan, saying, "O fish! O fish! Be ye constant to your olden convenant?" And behold, the fish lifted their heads and repeated "Yes! Yes!" and recited this couplet:
"Come back and so will I! Keep faith and so will I! But if ye fain forsake, I'll requite till quits we cry!"
When the fishes spoke, and the young lady upset the frying pan with her rod and went forth by the way she came and the wall closed up, the Wazir cried out, "This is a thing not to be hidden from the King." So he went and told him what had happened, whereupon quoth the King, "There is no help for it but that I see this with mine own eyes Then he sent for the fisherman and commanded him to bring four other fish like the first and to take with him three men as witnesses. The fisherman at once brought the fish, and the King, after ordering them to give him four hundred gold pieces, turned to the Wazir and said, "Up, and fry me the fishes here before me!" The Minister, replying, "To hear is to obey," bade bring the frying pan, threw therein the cleansed fish, and set it over the fire, when lo! the wall clave asunder, and out burst a black slave like a huge rock or a remnant of the tribe Ad, bearing in hand a branch of a green tree. And he cried in loud and terrible tones, "O fish! O fish! Be ye an constant to your antique convenant?" Whereupon the fishes lifted their heads from the frying pan and said, "Yes! Yes! We be true to our vow," and they again recited the couplet:
"Come back and so will I! Keep faith and so will I! But if ye fain forsake, I'll requite till quits we cry!"
Then the huge blackamoor approached the frying pan and upset it with the branch and went forth by the way he came in. When he vanished from their sight, the King inspected the fish, and finding them all charred black as charcoal, was utterly bewildered, and said to the Wazir: "Verily this is a matter whereanent silence cannot be kept. And as for the fishes, assuredly some marvelous adventure connects with them." So he bade bring the fisherman and asked him, saying: "Fie on thee, fellow! Whence come these fishes?" And he answered, "From a tarn between four heights lying behind this mountain which is in sight of thy city." Quoth the King, "How many days' march?" Quoth he, "O our Lord the Sultan, a walk of half-hour." The King wondered, and straightway ordering his men to march and horsemen to mount, led off the fisherman, who went before as guide, privily damning the Ifrit.
They fared on till they had climbed the mountain and descended unto a great desert which they had never seen during all their lives. And the Sultan and his merry men marveled much at the wold set in the midst of four mountains, and the tarn and its fishes of four colors, red and white, yellow and blue. The King stood fixed to the spot in wonderment and asked his troops and an present, "Hath anyone among you ever seen this piece of water before now?" And all made answer, "O King of the Age, never did we set eyes upon it during an our days." They also questioned the oldest inhabitants they met, men well stricken in years, but they replied, each and every, "A lakelet like this we never saw in this place." Thereupon quoth the King, "By Allah, I will neither return to my capital nor sit upon the throne of my forebears till I learn the truth about this tarn and the fish therein."
He then ordered his men to dismount and bivouac all around the mountain, which they did, and summoning his Wazir, a Minister of much experience, sagacious, of penetrating wit and well versed in affairs, said to him: "'Tis in my mind to do a certain thing, whereof I will inform thee. My heart telleth me to fare forth alone this night and root out the mystery of this tarn and its fishes. Do thou take thy scat at my tent door, and say to the emirs and wazirs, the nabobs and the chamberlains, in fine, to all who ask thee, 'The Sultan is ill at ease, and he hath ordered me to refuse all admittance.' And be careful thou let none know my design." And the Wazir could not oppose him. Then the King changed his dress and ornaments and, slinging his sword over his shoulder, took a path which led up one of the mountains and marched for the rest of the night till morning dawned, nor did he cease wayfaring till the heat was too much for him. After his long walk he rested for a while, and then resumed his march and fared on through the second night till dawn, when suddenly there appeared a black point in the far distance. Hereat he rejoiced and said to himself, "Haply someone here shall acquaint me with the mystery of the tarn and its fishes."
Presently, drawing near the dark object, he found it a palace built of swart stone plated with iron, and while one leaf of the gate stood wide-open, the other was shut. The King's spirits rose high as he stood before the gate and rapped a light rap, but hearing no answer, he knocked a second knock and a third, yet there came no sign. Then he knocked his loudest, but still no answer, so he said, "Doubtless 'tis empty." There upon he mustered up resolution and boldly walked through the main gate into the great hall, and there cried out aloud: "Holloa, ye people of the palace! I am a stranger and a wayfarer. Have you aught here of victual?" He repeated his cry a second time and a third, but still there came no reply.
So, strengthening his heart and making up his mind, he stalked through the vestibule into the very middle of the palace, and found no man in it. Yet it was furnished with silken stuffs gold-starred, and the hangings were let down over the doorways. In the midst was a spacious court off which sat four open saloons, each with its raised dais, saloon facing saloon. A canopy shaded the court, and in the center was a jetting fount with four figures of lions made of red gold, spouting from their mouths water clear as pearls and diaphanous gems. Round about the palace birds were let loose, and over it stretched a net of golden wire, hindering them from flying off. In brief, there was everything but human beings. The King marveled mightily thereat, yet felt he sad at heart for that he saw no one to give him an account of the waste and its tarn, the fishes, the mountains, and the palace itself. Presently as he sat between the doors in deep thought behold, there came a voice of lament, as from a heart griefspent, and he heard the voice chanting these verses:
"I hid what I endured of him and yet it came to light, And nightly sleep mine eyelids fled and changed to sleepless night. O world! O Fate! Withhold thy hand and cease thy hurt and harm Look and behold my hapless sprite in dolor and affright. Wilt ne'er show ruth to highborn youth who lost him on the way Of Love, and fell from wealth and fame to lowest basest wight? Jealous of Zephyr's breath was I as on your form he breathed, But whenas Destiny descends she blindeth human sight. What shall the hapless archer do who when he fronts his foe And bends his bow to shoot the shaft shall find his string undight? When cark and care so heavy bear on youth of generous soul, How shall he 'scape his lot and where from Fate his place of flight?"
Now when the Sultan heard the mournful voice he sprang to his feet and following the sound, found a curtain let down over a chamber door. He raised it and saw behind it a young man sitting upon a couch about a cubit above the ground, and he fair to the sight, a well-shaped wight, with eloquence dight. His forehead was flower-white, his cheek rosy bright, and a mole on his cheek breadth like an ambergris mite, even as the poet doth indite:
A youth slim-waisted from whose locks and brow The world in blackness and in light is set. Throughout Creation's round no fairer show No rarer sight thine eye hath ever met. A nut-brown mole sits throned upon a cheek Of rosiest red beneath an eye of jet.
The King rejoiced and saluted him, but he remained sitting in his caftan of silken stuff purfled with Egyptian gold and his crown studded with gems of sorts. But his face was sad with the traces of sorrow. He returned the royal salute in most courteous wise adding, "O my lord, thy dignity demandeth my rising to thee, and my sole excuse is to crave thy pardon." Quoth the King: "Thou art excused, O youth, so look upon me as thy guest come hither on an especial object. I would thou acquaint me with the secrets of this tarn and its fishes and of this palace and thy loneliness therein and the cause of thy groaning and wailing." When the young man heard these words he wept with sore weeping till his bosom was drenched with tears. The King marveled and asked him, "What maketh thee weep, O young man?" and he answered, "How should I not weep, when this is my case!" Thereupon he put out his hand and raised the skirt of his garment, when lo! the lower half of him appeared stone down to his feet while from his navel to the hair of his head he was man. The King, seeing this his plight, grieved with sore grief and of his compassion cried: "Alack and wellaway! In very sooth, O youth, thou heapest sorrow upon my sorrow. I was minded to ask thee the mystery of the fishes only, whereas now I am concerned to learn thy story as well as theirs. But there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Lose no time, O youth, but tell me forthright thy whole tale." Quoth he, "Lend me thine ears, thy sight, and thine insight." And quoth the King, "All are at thy service!"
Thereupon the youth began, "Right wondrous and marvelous is my case and that of these fishes, and were it graven with gravers upon the eye corners it were a warner to whoso would be warned." "How is that?" asked the King, and the young man began to tell