Monthly Archives: March 2011

…bathed in the Prophet’s presence…

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Here we sit in the Rawdah bathed in the Prophet’s presence
Seeking divine satisfaction and beautiful welcome

We have come to you needy, O safest of refuges,
Broken, brought low, and bewildered to the core

Ask God to grant us every goodly care
To regard our hopes at the moment of Resurrection

The clarity of your power and incomparable message
Surpasses those of every sent Messenger

You are God’s gateway to every good
And whoever reaches you finds satisfaction and reunion

Every secret from the prophets has proceeded
From your sublime station, affirmed by transmission

I plead my case through Your Prophet, O God,
From Your promise to accept his intercession

All who encamp at the abode of a generous host
Attain their most fervent wish and everything they seek

So here we thank God for every blessed time
He grants us a visit to our beloved Messenger

And every time we visit the graveyard at Baqi
And all the Companions and Fatima’s children

And each time we visit the wives and daughters
And son of humanity’s rescuer at that fateful Day

And every time we visit those who fell at Uhud,
The noble martyrs and the Prophet’s uncle

By virtue of their rank, we ask for supreme safety
On our journey home and when we enter into it

And for safe deliverance on the Day of Gathering
And to guard us from every crassly ignorant fool

O my Lord, bless the Prophet and his entire Family
And Companions and Followers who emulate his qualities.

Song Written Before the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam
by Shaykh ibnal-Habib al-Amghari al-Idrisi al-Hasani Rahmatullahi alaihi

(This song was recited by the Shaykh in the “Rawdah” in front of the Prophet’s tomb in Medina, and copied by a companion. “Rawdah” from the hadith: “Between my minbar and my grave is a Rawda from among the Riyaad of Heaven,” also meaning “garden” or “meadow.” This version is based on translations made by Aisha Tarjumana, with help from Abdarrahman Fitzgerald and Shakir Masoud)

With kind and generous permission from Sidi Daniel Abdul-Hayy Moore as found in the preface of his deeply spiritual volume Sparrow on the Prophet’s Tomb, available directly through his sites, (1,2) where you can also feast on his expansive tasty morsels of creativity through his delectable imagery, or here.

The mosaic is complied by photographs generously shared by Brother Salim Adam, Alhumdulillah.

Also bathe in the recent exclusive photos Brother Noushad shares from inside Masjid Nabawi.

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…captured…while on a mission in this Most Radiant of Cities…

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…the mission…

…buy supplies of the Seven Healers to be taken back to the US by one of the blessed travellers in Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s Sacred Caravan…

…unfortunately the requested mission was ‘unaccomplished’ due to the closure of the establishment producing this wonderful mix…so back to home made concoctions…

…however the journey was not at all futile…as with any wandering, strolling, dashing in this City of Illumination and Enlightenment, Allah Ta’ala presents a carnival of scenes and experiences to reflect upon, learn from, and submit to…

…this is a cardboard box ‘home’ to a brother who has been living like this for months!

…the over head bridge to the right is the one mentioned before, that is due for demolition once the new section is constructed…

…his bed is surrounded by boxes filled with drying bread pieces, which are then crushed and put into the empty flour sacks for selling…while the cardboard box ‘walls’ seem to be in an ever changing collection and arrangement each time I pass by…as the brother must collect them for recycling as well…maintaining a basic number for the walls…and Allah Ta’ala knows best…

…the end of the white tent to the left is the corner of a massive temporary tent erected for the Taibah University Book Fair…

…you can just make out one of the minarets of Haram to the right of the yellow crane scaffolding…giving you an idea where this ‘home’ is…in view of thousands coming and going to Haram day and in and day out…strange that this brother is allowed to remain living like this…

…after a few hair-raising dashes in and out of traffic along Qurban Rd, the elegant minarets and Jabal Uhud appeared as the sanctuary they are, behind a corrugated construction fence…the late afternoon sun illuminating the glistening cream tones…a metaphor for the soul, to reach higher than any barriers that may be placed before one…and that love, as symbolized by our loved Jabal Uhud, is firmly present…

…pick-up trucks park on the side of the roads laden with the famous coveted Madinah mint and rose petals for adding to tea…soaked blankets keep the bundles fresh…the aroma is so sweet…

…nearby is a cargo office dealing with the export of tons of dates each day…this particular one is mainly for Turkish destinations…

…looking towards the Amarah building with the underground tunnel for facilities taking shape for the new ring road section…

…in this same area are make shift ‘homes’ for itinerant truck and bus drivers…

…they seem to have established a little community here where they are seen doing mechanical work or are in groups sharing meals and flasks of tea…

…a very healthy looking tabby seemed to be a loved resident of this ad hoc ‘village’…but that plastic stuck around its substantial belly is the remains of handle section of a plastic bag…domestic kitties take note, especially Squeakster…this is what can happen as the poor felines here have to scavenge for their food…often seen clawing through plastic bags to get to discarded scraps, or sticking their head into a plastic bag…and I guess this is what has befallen this robust tabby…being feral, the idea of trying to extricate this from him/her was sadly not an option…

…looking across to Masjid Bilal from where the above photos were taken…

…time to head for Haram for Maghrib…time for worship, time to throw the Dunya aside, time for the heart to rejoice with the prospect of feeling Allah Ta’ala lift the veils between Him and this needy slave while in Sajdah, time to taste the sweetness of submitting, time to hope that this Salat is lifted to the Heavens…

…and later the stroll home where the Dunya attempts to eclipse the radiance of this Most Radiant of Cities…a recently opened bridal shop on Quba Street…

…what to say??? the colours! the designs!

I find my true existence in vanishing from existence

And from all apparent evidence I see.

A Sufi saying.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…The Loftiest Pearl…

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“The Loftiest Pearl” [ad-dawr al-a’la], also known as the “Orison of Protection” [hizb al-wiqaya], is a much-loved litany in Sufi circles. Its remarkable power and exalted beauty is widely acknowledged. It is said that whoever reads it with sincerity of heart and utter conviction, while making a specific plea, will have their wish granted. The one who recites this prayer is described as the sun and the moon amongst the stars.
This transcendent litany belongs to the corpus of treasures unveiled by our master and guide who is lovingly revered as the Red Sulphur [al-kibrit al-ahmar], the Spiritual Master par excellence [al-shaikh al-akbar], and the reviver of the community and religion [muhyi-l milla wa-d din]. He is the luminous Muhyi-d Din Muhammad ibn Al-‘Arabi Al-Hatimi Al-Andalusi Al-Ta’i, may Allah sanctify his secret, illuminate his mausoleum, and benefit us in both abodes by his virtue!

Source for the complete Arabic and English text which can be downloaded, Alhumdulillah! Many report that the 22nd of Rabi’al Akhir is the anniversary of this grand Shaykh Rahmatullahi alaihi.

It is strictly necessary, however, at the time of its recitation, for there to be presence of heart, sincerity of intention, and diligent concentration. True benefits reside in true convictions, so you must recognise its worth, for then you will experience its blessed grace and goodness, if Allah (exalted is He) so wills.

Exalted is your Lord of Might, far beyond their description of Him, And peace be upon the Messengers. And praise be to Allah, Lord of (all) the Worlds. (37:180-182)

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…a rock confides…

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before the beat of hearts
before the shriek of gulls
before dew dropped from bending grass
before a moonbeam shone on a beady owl eye
before a sun baking lizard’s tongue lashed at an ant
before rose scented fragrances enhanced the air

i was spewed
in one violent shudder
from a molten inferno

flung
tumbled
rolled
to stillness
as the earth groaned and creaked
singing a subdued sonourous hum
a relief
after such an expulsion

and here…
i waited

galaxies ignited
stars burst
and a cosmic symphony clamoured

shadows caressed me
flies buzzed
and the relentless sun
scorched
but it is not for me wonder
for how many eons

and here…
i waited

for the One whose praises vibrate
within this monolith
is the Keeper of All Knowledge
my assigned duty was
and still is
patience

so here…
i waited

then
one
day
the most melodious of mellowness
embraced this rugged soul
and a perfume so divine
it could have
shattered me to dust
but the Ruby Pen had not scribed such

and then

and then
a sensation
never felt in billions of time fragments
(how to convey this
so you humans may sense
even a minuscule of
what happened next?)

a silky syrupy melting bliss
lifted a somnolent heaviness
that
released a feathery exuberance
the antithesis of static geological
creation

engulfed by
a banquet of light
disintegrating my stony reality
rainbows of diamonds
shimmering
blinded to nothingness
as the touch of the Habib
of Allah
electrified
this
rock

overcome by dizziness
was I solid?
liquid?
dissolving?
dissolved?
spinning?

His noble back pressed into me
i was made subtle
ecstatic rapture
or is it rapturous ecstasy?

then
Jibreel’s awesome sonance
floated from far above
a whisper of pure compassion
replied

and here…
i wait
chanting endless salutations

upon perfection

our shadowless

Prophet

SallAllahu alaihi wasallam

…this Mubarak rock stands in the corner (to the right of this photo) of this fenced courtyard of Masjid Kou’e in Taif:

here stands the place, enshrined in this humble squat stone structure, where our Liegelord, Al-Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam wept….

continued here

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…Quba contrasts…

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…the serenity around Masjid Quba is meditative…trees, birds, Jabal Uhud as a backdrop…

…performing Umrah by offering two Rakats of Salat where our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam established the very first Masjid…along with allowing the heart to wander back to that joyous moment when Abu Bakr As-Siddiq RadhiAllah anhu and the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam appeared through the dense palm groves after their arduous flight from Makkah…all this and more stills the soul, regardless of the external hustle and bustle surrounding the area…SubhanAllah!

…mere moments away is another world altogether…

…streetscapes reflect contrasting living conditions…

…with some residences in old stone buildings, some with various additions…

…the top section of this structure was made of small balls of mud forming the wall…

…a child reciting Qur’an flowed from this window…

…old and new side by side…

…small palm groves were hidden behind makeshift walls…the newly propagated date stalks tied in bundles…

…the yellowy gold presenting a stark contrast all around…

…the local cats hanging out near the bins checking for tasty scraps…

…others obviously had their fill…*meeeoooowww Squeakster*

…Masjid Quba minarets so close…with national flags fluttering in the breeze…such sentiments are still prominent throughout the city…

…a tailors workshop hints at the standard of living in this area…

…at this stage of meandering around these streets there was an invite for tea from a covered Saudi sister who was inquisitive as to why another covered sister would be taking photographs…nice…Alhumdulillah…

…a farmyard touch…

…back to Masjid Quba for Maghrib…

…would love stay and share more but with the server in change-over mode and so many other things happening in this little corner of the world…this is all I could manage…Alhumdulillah ‘ala kulli Hal…

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…supermoon…

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Jaber bin Sumrah RadhiAllahu anhu said: “I saw Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu alaihi wasallam on a full-moon night.  His face was radiating with light, I looked at him and looked at the moon repeatedly. His face was brighter than the full moon”

The Light of the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi

‘Supermoon’articles 1.2.3

Photos before and after Maghrib today.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.

…the never ending story…

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…the myriad of scenes around Masjid Nabawi form amazing chapters of a never ending story…interconnected never ending tasks dominate the theme…one of the recent tasks added to the maintenance routine is the washing of the almost two hundred umbrellas…brothers in protective wet weather gear, one operating the cherry picker the other aiming a high pressured hose to the under surface of the umbrella…

…the planning and preparation of this single task alone is meticulous…the covering of the light fixture and the electrical fixtures in the base of the pillars, the organizing of at least twenty brothers involved in this exercise…the water truck, the generator powering the hose, the area being cordoned off…

…all these are the obvious aspects…but when we view this from the bigger picture we realize how vast the never ending story is…the desalinated water supply…the engineering and designing of the plants, the fuel needed to operate them, the thousands of kilometers of pipelines for transporting the water…on and on…how incredibly intricate this story has become over the past fifty years, let alone past hundreds of years…

…the individual stories of all the workers add yet another layer to this never ending story…each one bringing a history and a personality with them…each leaving a country, family and conditions that are totally diverse from the lives they live here…this network of threads reach back to all they have left behind, where the story plays out within the homes of their loved ones and all they are absent from…

…the training and inauguration needed for the multitude of demands must be complex…

…and when we consider the financial implications of all this, the weave of the never ending story becomes even more dense…

…not one feature, whether inside or out of the Masjid complex is overlooked…from all the labourious tasks, like the brass polishing, cleaning of every surface, the massive attention to filling and maintaining the Zamzam supplies to all the skilled operations including electrical, sound system, the hundreds of security cameras, the air conditioning, the control room, the rostering of staff, the academic libraries…and on and on…

…a never ending story…

…that extends to the facilities and surrounding buildings…

…add to all this the rich layer the pilgrims bring to this captivating tale…the heightened emotions and passions constitute different dimensions and qualities, the rich an varied cultures and traditions, the expectations, the culmination of yearning with devotion…the elation…

…until the mutawwa appear…abruptly transforming the dynamics of the story line…

…and the architectural changes seem to be a common thread within this tapestry…

…the climax to this never ending story is, and always be, being close, while desiring more and more intimacy with our Beloved Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…

…this is the bliss…

…this is the magnetism of the never ending story…

…it was once said to me as i was taking YET another photo of the Mubarak Dome of Felicity: “Haven’t you got enough photos of it?” I was taken aback, as the eyes could never tire of gazing upon the Abode of the Best of Creation SallAllahu alaihi wasllam, either directly being there or indulging in the calm and serenity that takes over when looking at photos…which I tend to do over and over…each and every one conveying a different and special nuance; the never ending, second by second subtle changes due to the never ending beauty of light that embraces it. No two moments in Allah Ta’ala’s majestic creation is ever the same…and this is one minute aspect of the magnificence that is the never ending story…

…we were three sisters, discussing Deeni matters, sitting facing the Green Dome. As in such conversations, eye contact was maintained, but in one moment my gaze was averted to the Abode of Peace…whereupon I became dumbstruck…in an instant I felt transported from the task in hand, the mind emptied, the awe and then the overwhelming love flooded my being…and this by merely gazing upon the Dome of Peace, not the splendour of its resident SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…the words of Sayyidna Ali RadhiAllahu anhu come to mind: Whoever laid but a glance upon the Messenger was awestruck; whoever looked upon him repeatedly was drowned in love and said in praise, ‘I have neither seen anything so awesome before nor will I see the like again.’

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.