Monthly Archives: November 2011

…chill and changes…

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…muddy puddles announce the arrival of winter in our City of Light and Radiance…blessings of rain and thunder were bestowed upon Madinatun Nabi…temperatures have suddenly plummeted to the lowest in years…

…after months of searing summer heat the chill has caught many unawares…and what were dust bowls have become murky tracts to negotiate…

…thousands of Hujjaj are still honoured in being neighbours to our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…

…many are flocking to blanket shops where purchases are in bulk…returning to hotels with several of these balanced on their head…

…traders seem jubilant with the sales of warmer garments…amazing how the street vendors are so quick with displaying items to suit the conditions…jackets, gloves, shawls, beanies, hoodies and whacky ear muffs that so many of the brothers are wearing…one dominant design is of silver butterflies on a black background…

…the umbrellas remain open during the night…maybe to retain the warmth generated by the crowds…

…it hardly seems a few moments ago when the fans were spraying mist to cool the pilgrims…

…and many seem to be really feeling the chill…having arrived for a reasonably hot Hajj and not planning or prepared for such cold…

…nationalities seem to arrive in waves…the majority these past few days being Indonesian, Nigerian and many form the Sub Continent…

…the array of shawls creates an ocean of colour…while many seem to have borrowed the hotel blankets to wrap themselves in…sadly the poorer ones are using their Ihram sheets…brothers stand shivering as they wait for their women folk to return from Ziyarah…

…Nigerian sisters appear in distinguishing colours…waves of golden yellow…

…blues and purples…

…the northern courtyard is almost deserted due to the chill…

…the empty expanse was strange after the earlier crowds for Esha…

…a few brave groups of Turkish sisters huddled to offer greetings…

…but the chilly wind and the icy marble made for a rather deserted courtyard…Insha’Allah hearts are never deserted of Salawat upon our Blessed Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, who said: ‘Whoever forgot to ask for prayers upon me has lost his path to Jannah,’ and ‘The person most deserving of me on the Day of Resurrection is the one who asks for prayers upon me the most.’

Our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: ‘When a person recites this supplication,

Laa ilaaha illallahu ma ashadda barda hazhal yawm, allahumma ajirni min zamhareeri jahannam.
There is no deity but Allah, How severe is the cold of today! O Allah! Protect me from the severe cold of Jahannam.

Almighty Allah says to Jahannam: ‘Verily a servant of mine has sought refuge in Me from you, bear testimony that I have granted him salvation from you.’

~*~

…and the changes…plans to expand the Mataf from the capacity of 52,000 to 130,000 at a time are being implemented…

The crown prince made this comment while chairing a meeting of the Supreme Haj Committee at his office in Riyadh. The meeting discussed all aspects of the project, especially how to tackle a temporary reduction of the mataf’s capacity while the project is being implemented.

…as usual not much is publicly announced…some say the Ottoman arcade will go…while this clip (Arabic, but the concept is understood by the visuals) suggests multiple tiers…Allahu ‘alum…bookmark this link to access the latest Mataf developments as they become available…

…meanwhile many Makkans decry ‘unfair compensation’ for properties confiscated for the never ending changes…facilities to 4000 buildings have just recently been terminated as the next phase of demolition begins…visiting Makkans were explaining that tourist and visitor visas will be less for the majority if the coming year, as well as Ummrah traffic being reduced in order to have less pilgrims in Makkah and in Haram while these massive changes take place…Allahu ‘alum…

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.

…gazing…

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…gazing…from the third pillar back from the Dome of Eternity…gazing…

…we gaze upon your abode Ya Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…we gaze and we praise…

…we come alone…we come in groups beneath fluttering flags…we come as families…children scampering around pillars…scooting…skating…running…squealing…the elderly wheeled…walking sticks tap tap tapping…wave upon wave of love…and wave upon wave retreat…overflowing with even more love…a thirst-quenching light illuminates hearts…and perfumes the air…sequestered within the gaze is the celestial sound that only thousands of supplicating Angels make…

…we gaze upon your abode Ya Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…we gaze and we praise…

…from the third pillar back from the Dome of Eternity…gazing…at times with friends…newly wed…young parents…grandparents…divorced…single…dark…fair…hunched…energetic…all lovers…some returned to lands far away…but their gaze forever remains…at times alone, when intimacy seems so deep it pains with an indescribable sweetness…at times with unknown seekers without a common language other than the glorious language of gazing upon Muhammad, the Most Praised One, Ahmad, Most Praiseworthy, Mahmoud, Praised by all, SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…tears refuse to stop…hearts fuse and melt in the shared moments of gazing…

…we gaze upon your abode Ya Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…we gaze and we praise…

…wherever you are right now…free the heart to fly to the third pillar back from the Dome of Eternity…and GAZE…

~*~

…and felicitous greetings for the unfolding of the new Hijri year…may it be a year blessed with increased nearness to our Rabb Subhanahu wa Ta’ala and His Habib SallAllahu alaihi wasallam…a year where our gaze is more focused on following in the noble footsteps of the most honoured of created beings…a year Ya Rabb, Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, when You bestow us with happiness by virtue of your Habib…a year Ya Rabb, when You allow our gaze to fall on his Mubarak face, again and again…a year that is dedicated to Your service…a year for the Ummah to reflect the best of qualities that you have graced mankind with…a year of gaining Your pleasure…a year of gazing upon all that earns Your Garden…Ameen.

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.

…post-Hajj snaps…

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…between Asr and Maghrib on the way to meet yet another special sister…

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.

…bride of the sea…

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…this seems to epitomize Jeddah…the bride of the sea…a contrast between the mess and shabbiness of poverty and neglect and being prettied up for public display…the poor so poor and the rich so rich…people scampering in rubbish dumps as ferraris and lambourginis whizz by…two extremes…

…and unusual juxtaposioning of styles and history…

…the popular Corniche…deserted in the early morning but a thriving hub in the evenings…

…construction of beach front complexes dominate the road parallel to the Red Sea…with many attempting to mimic Dubai…check this mega futuristic Mile High Tower project…and compare it to the other tallest buildings across the world…boggling…makes the existing architecture look so dated…such competition!

…the glass facades of this building become giant screens of advertising at night…

…Jeddah is famous for it’s outdoor sculpture gallery…

…and masaajid projecting out in the sea…appearing as if floating when lit at night…

…kilometres of the corniche are currently fenced off as developments are in progress…the following impressions reveal the scope of the designs and improvements…much needed for the thousands who spend time at the sea…and for a city that has limited recreational spaces…

…Insha’Allah the plans will be incorporating much needed public toilets…

In a fact-finding tour Arab News found that the entire city of approximately three million people has only five public toilets

…incomprehensible!! and the few that are available are deplorable…

…this was an encouraging find!!! the small beginnings of recycling and concern for the environment…a long way to go…Du’a!!!

…envigorating…

…Insha’Allah a little more imaginative play areas will appear in the new design…

…meanwhile the exhilaration of swinging seemed to be enjoyed by many…

…this looks scentic…a calm lake…with spectacular moods…but in fact it is the imfamous sewerage dump!!! in the middle of the city…(return to the previous post where you can see the murky area to the left on the google map…this is Musk Lake!! the foul smell permanently wafts around the residential area built on the shore…

…that contraption sitting on the surface is an aerator…there are several sitting in the lake, supposedly turned on to oxygentate the water to stimulate the bacteria to break down the sludge…but none were working this day…

…not sure what this ruin is…maybe a Jaddawi can enlighten us…but it has been left untouched for years, so must have some historical significance…

…Jeddah…the bride of the sea…maybe with a little more make-up she will once again reflect the glory of this title…

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.

…backtracking…

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…to avoid the multiple check points on our recent journey to Makkah and Jeddah we travelled via Badr and then the Yanbu-Jeddah Highway…it was with great sadness to see that the ‘bid’ah brigade’ have extended the height of the fence all around the battle field…the usual ‘vice squad’ and police presence was not there…their thinking that the high fence would certainly prevent anyone looking into the grave site…Astaghfirullah…so much talk about interfaith dialogue and developing ‘tourism’ but so little regard for the glorious legacy of our Deen…

…Insha’Allah we all take a small ladder when we intend to visit…Alhumdulillah the massive sand dune from where Jibril Alaihis Salam and his army of Angels is still visible…

…the road fromconnecting Badr to the Yanbu-Jeddah highway is eerily desolate…

…with ghostly abandoned buildings…

…and so many camels which is amazing considering the lack of vegataion…

…but when a couple of them rolled and frolicked, enjoying a sand bath…

…the thought was that this was why they were there, and not for nibbling on the usual thorny bushes…

…oil refineries and desalination plants hug the coastal areas of the Red Sea…

…and where the King Abdullah Economic City is being constructed…the scope of this project is massive, as seen in the link…

…with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology also nearby…we hoped to enter the grounds but the security set up was intimidating…the landscaped road leading to the site was impressive with this intense hit of green after the arid desert evoking exclamations of delight…

…whizzing past the Hajj terminal…

…the Du’a for visiting graves on the wall of where Siti Hawwa Alaihas Salam is buried…

…the entrance to the graveyard…

…the remains of the old entrance…

…the site is adjacant to the old Balad district…one of the Balad buildings with Eid decorations…

…some opine that the grave of Siti Hawwa cannot be authenticated, but maybe this yet another ‘bid’ah brigade’ attitude…Allahu ‘Alum…

…it seemed timely to be here at the time of Hajj and the Day of Standing as ‘Arafat is where it is said, (and Allah the Almighty knows best) that Adam and Hawwa, Alaihumaa Salaam, after a separation of 200 years, following their expulsion from the Garden, they then “recognized” each other and were reunited. Here too they were forgiven by Allah, the Merciful, for their transgression. ‘Arafat comes from the root ‘arifa to know, to recognize…SubhanAllah!!

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 alchemical elixir…

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Since, although he is from among us, he doesn’t resemble us. We are entirely like copper, and Muhammad is like the alchemical elixir.

Muhammad broke many idols in the world, so that religious communities were saying, “O our Sustaining Lord!” If it had not been for Muhammad’s efforts, you also would have worshiped idols like your ancestors.

This head of yours has escaped from prostrating to idols, so that you may recognize his claim of gratitude upon the religious community.
If you speak, talk about gratitude for this liberation, so that he may also free you from the inward idol.
Because he freed your head from worship of idols, you should also liberate your heart by means of that power.

And the head of our caravan is Mustafa,
the Prophet, of whom the whole universe is proud.
Mustafa, peace and blessings be upon him,
is so high a being that the moon did not dare to see his face and split.
The fragrance of the wind of this spring comes from his blessed hair.
The shining of our imagination comes from his beauty
which reminds us of the newly rising sun.

Be among the community of believers who are blessed by Divine Mercy. Don’t abandon the way of conduct of Muhammad, but be commanded by it.

We learned the skill of being a true man from Allah. We are the heroes of Love and the companions of Muhammad.

Suddenly, there grew a “branch of candy.” And suddenly, there bubbled such a Water of Eternal Life.
Suddenly, there flowed alms to the poor from the king. May there be joy for the soul of Muhammad, and greetings of peace!

He brings all of those who are led astray into the Way out of the desert. May Muhammad be the guide on the Way of Allah forever!

A voice from the lofty ones among the angels came from Heaven to every beggar: O pure spirit of the one who is followed!

O Mercy to all peoples (21:107)

Yet, I have seen the signs of Your Grace and Kindness in the appearance of that incomparable Pearl, O Generous One.

There has never been a beauty like that of a Prophet like Muhammad in this world or the next. May the Glory of Allah help him!

I am the servant of the Qur’an as long as I live.
And I am the soil where the foot of Muhammad stepped.

I bring blessings upon you, O Muhammad, so that the breeze of nearness to Allah may increase. Since, with nearness of the Whole, all parts are allowed to approach.

Just as, during the night of the Ascension, Allah made the greeting of peace with the Light of the Absolute upon Muhammad: “Peace be upon you.”

The spirit that was bound within the form of attributes went to the Divine Essence by means of the light of Muhammad the Chosen. The moment it started going, it said out of joy:

“Blessings be on the joyful spirit of Muhammad the Chosen”

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

…all gems of praise from Rumi’s inspirational pen…

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.

…crash…

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…Madinatun Nabi is treating the new Hujjaj with the best of mild weather for them to relax and crash…

…and crash is what my computer has done…Insha’Allah back to posting when it is ‘revived’…Insha’Allah with no losses…

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.