Disini Untukmu

This will be an odd entry - in terms of language. Since I have been introduced to this Indonesian band Ungu many moons ago, I have been unashamedly a big fan of this talented band. Their songs are truly great - bands, the likes of Peter Pan, Padi and Dewa now pales in comparison :)

Just listen to songs such as Demi Waktu, Kekasih Gelapku, Aku Bukan Pilihanmu, Tercipta Untukku (my favourite), Andai Ku Tahu etc

But as my last song entry for the day, I wish to share this song that introduced me to Ungu: Disini Untukmu (Here For You) - a soundtrack taken from the movie Coklat & Stroberi (Chocolate & Strawberry) released last year. Wonderful song ...

Everything Else Disappears

Sister Hazel is a musical group from Gainesville, Florida, whose style blends elements of alternative rock, folk, and southern rock. The group is known for devoting much of their time to fans and charity events in the spirit of the band's namesake, "Sister Hazel", the elderly coordinator of a homeless shelter in Gainesville, FL.

This song is taken from their latest album released in 2006 - Absolutely.

Consequence

And if you need to just chill, a great song that has been haunting me for these couple of weeks: "Consequence" by The Notwist - a German indie rock band. While their early records moved through grunge and metal into dark indie rock, their recent efforts for which they've received the most attention have been very strongly influenced by the electronica scene. This is synthetiser all the way ...

Thanks bro, for the song. You're the best :)

Leaning Tower Of Pisa

I achieved a milestone today: I "climbed" the leaning Tower of Pisa at one go - all 294 steps of it (if you climb from the north side of the Tower - see details below) - through the most dreaded machine ever invented - the Stairs Master. Imagine the stairs on the ground floor leading up to your apartment (say on the 25th floor for example), add the concept of escalator to it: wala! you have the Stairs Master. Climb, climb, climb - endlessly ... and to add to the dreadfulness to it, there is the varying levels attached: levels of resistance (difficulty), and 'revolution' speed of the escalator.

In all earnestness, give me the treadmill or the cycling machine anytime of the day - although the cycling machine comes in second as the most dreaded machine ever invented for the gym. Despite all dreadfulness, these are my 3 basic cardio routines everytime I stepped into the gym before even proceeding to the weights. My personal trainer promised that I will thank him in due time for putting me up to these rigorous routines (when I asked him why not many people at the gym does the stairs master like me - bimbotic questions to find excuse not to do it) on these dreadful machines (my god - how many times have I used the word "dreadful" here?).

Now that the first month of training just passed by today, I have already thanked him. Apart from bimbotic vain reasons of having toned legs, my fitness have definitely improved by leaps and bounds. No more asthma-sounding noise trying to catch for breath, and definitely, I am able to sustain longer and "heavier" trainings. To my colleagues, I even exude a more positive and energetic aura. Now, almost half of my colleagues (some whose age is twice than me) - have also taken up the 'sport' and have started signing up for memberships and began their aerobics on Friday (I must remember to ask them how it was tomorrow at work :) All in all, everything is going right on track and I can see many positive results, Alhamdulillah :)

Alright, I was just too elated that I had to rant about it. Now, for some educational value - some information about the Leaning Tower of Pisa:

The Tower of Pisa is the bell tower of the Cathedral. Its construction began in the august of 1173 and continued (with two long interruptions) for about two hundred years, in full fidelity to the original project, whose architect is still uncertain. In the past it was widely believed that the inclination of the Tower was part of the project ever since its beginning, but now we know that it is not so. The Tower was designed to be "vertical" (and even if it did not lean it would still be one of the most remarkable bell towers in Europe), and started to incline during its construction.

Both because of its inclination, and its beauty, from 1173 up to the present, the Tower has been the object of very special attention. During its construction, efforts were made to halt the incipient inclination through the use of special construction devices; later colums and other damaged parts were substituted on more than one occasion; today, interventions are being carried out within the sub-soil in order to significantly reduce the inclination and to make sure that the Tower will have a long life.

In all this story, it is possible to find a meaningful constant, the "genetic code" of the Tower: its continual interaction with the soil on which it was built. Today's (1999) works for the safeguard and the conservation of the Tower with very advanced methodologies are designed to fully respect this constant.

The height of the tower is 55.86m from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70m on the highest side. The width of the walls at the base is 4.09m and at the top 2.48m. Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tonnes. The tower has 296 steps (the seventh floor has a different number of steps on the two sides, if you climb it on the north part you can count only 294 steps). The tower leans at an angle of 3.97 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is 3.9m from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.

Due to the peculiarity of the tower, there is no lift inside, contrary to common belief.

Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannon balls of different masses from this tower to demonstrate that their descending speed was independent of their mass. This is considered an apocryphal tale, and the only source for it comes from Galileo's secretary.

In 1934, Benito Mussolini ordered that the tower be returned to a vertical position, so concrete was poured into its foundation. However, the result was that the tower actually sank further into the soil.

During World War II, the Allies discovered that the Nazis were using it as an observation post. A U.S. Army sergeant was briefly entrusted with the fate of the tower. His decision not to call in an artillery strike saved the edifice.

On February 27 1964, the government of Italy requested aid in preventing the tower from toppling. It was, however, considered important to retain the current tilt, due to the vital role that this element played in promoting the tourism industry of Pisa. A multinational task force of engineers, mathematicians and historians was assigned and met on the Azores islands to discuss stabilization methods. On 7 January 1990, after over two decades of work on the subject, the tower was closed to the public. While the tower was closed, the bells were removed to relieve some weight, and cables were cinched around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away. Apartments and houses in the path of the tower were vacated for safety. After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on December 15, 2001. It was found that the lean was increasing due to the stonework expanding and contracting each day due to the heat of sunlight. This was working in combination with the softer foundations on the lower side. Many methods were proposed to stabilize the tower, including the addition of 800 metric tons of lead counterweights to the raised end of the base.

The final solution to prevent the collapse of the tower was to slightly straighten the tower to a safer angle, by removing 38m3 of soil from underneath the raised end. Through this, the tower was straightened by 18 inches (45cm), returning to the exact position that it was in 1838. The tower has been declared stable for at least another 300 years.

In 1987, the tower was declared as part of the Piazza dei Miracoli UNESCO World Heritage Site along with neighbouring cathedral, baptistery and cemetery.

My next target: "climbing" the tower of the awesome and romantic Taj Mahal by next weekend. Small trivia: It has 360 steps!!!

Insya-Allah... Anyone else?

Enjoying The Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones."

"While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress."

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups." "Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change."

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it." So don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead :)

Excessess, And Without

THE Sufi ancient Junayd taught by demonstration, through a method in which he actually lived the part which he was trying to illustrate. This is an example:

Once he was found by a number of Seekers, sitting surrounded by every imaginable luxury.

These people left his presence and sought the house of a most austere and ascetic holy man, whose surroundings were so plain that he had nothing but a mat and a jug of water.

The spokesman of the Seekers said:
'Your simple manners and austere environment are much more to our liking than the garish and shocking excesses of Junayd, who seems to have turned his back upon the Path of Truth.'

The ascetic heaved a great sigh and started to weep:
'My dear friends, shallowly infected by the outward signs which beset man at every turn,' he said, 'know this, and cease to be unfortunates! The great Junayd is surrounded at this moment by luxury because he is impervious to luxury: and I am surrounded by simplicity because I am impervious to simplicity.'

... Thinkers of the East, Idries Shah

Prayer For Monday

O God,
give me on every Monday two favours from Thee:
the felicity to obey Thee
at its beginning
and the favour of Thy forgiveness
at its end!
O He who is God
and none other than whom grants forgiveness for sins!

Oh My Soul!

Should you not gain your wants, my soul, then be not grieved;
But hasten to that banquet which your Lord's bequeathed.

And when a thing for which you ask is slow to come,
Then know that often through delay are gifts received.

Find solace in privation and respect its due,
For only by contentment is the heart relieved.

And know that when the trials of life have rendered you
Despairing of all hope, and of all joy bereaved,
Then shake yourself and rouse yourself from heedlessness,
And make pure hope a meadow that you never leave.

Your Maker's gifts take subtle and uncounted forms.
How fine the fabric of the world His hands have weaved.

The journey done, they came to the water of life,
And all the caravan drank deep, their thirst relieved.
Far be it from the host to leave them thirsty there,
His spring pours forth all generosity received.

My Lord, my trust in all Your purposes is strong,
That trust is now my shield; I'm safe, and undeceived.

All those who hope for grace from You will feel Your rain;
Too generous are You to leave my branch unleaved.
May blessings rest upon the loved one, Muhammad,

Who's been my means to high degrees since I believed.
He is my fortress and my handhold, so my soul,
Hold fast, and travel to a joy still unconceived.

- Shaykh Ali bin Husayn al-Habshi

I Am In All My Creation

In a similar vein to the message of the previous entries, an excerpt from the book:

"Moses walked alone into the desert and prayed, beseeching God. "O Lord, for many years I have been Thy faithful servant, yet Thou hast never entered my house, nor broken bread with me. Wilt Thou not come and sup in my house?"

And God was well pleased with the request, and answered him: "Yea, Verily! Truly thou hast been My faithful servant, and so I will come this very evening to thy dwelling and break bread with thee!"

Moses was delighted that he was to be granted this special grace, and made swiftly for home, ordering his household as to the preparations, and cooking with his own hands a great feast worthy of the Lord.

When all was in readiness and the supper hour drew near, Moses dressed in his finest robes and waited outside his house, pacing in his eagerness. Many of the people were about at this hour, returning home from their day's labors, and they bowed in greeting as they passed him.

He returned their greetings distractedly until an old man in the crowd, a beggar, came up to him and bowed low. He was clothed in rags and leaned heavily upon a staff of sandalwood. "Great sir," said the old man, " will thee not share some small portion of thy bounty with one of lesser fortune? By the adab, the tradition of courtesy, I ask it."

"Yea, yea..." answered Moses kindly, but impatiently. "You shall have your fill, and coins for your purse also. But you must come back later. I await an important guest now, and have no time for thee."

So the beggar walked on and Moses waited. Hour after hour all through the night he paced and waited, but the Lord did not come. Now Moses was greatly disconcerted. He wept exceedingly and slept not at all. The very thought that God had forgotten him struck him to the heart. At dawn he again walked into the desert. Weeping, he rent his garments and prostrated himself upon the ground.

"O Lord!" he cried, "How have I offended Thee, that Thou did not come to my house as Thou had promised?"

"O Moses," said the Lord, "I was the beggar who leaned upon his staff, whom thou bid depart. Know ye that I am in all My creation, and what thou apportion to the least of My servants, thou apportion to Me!"

Translating Into Actions

Perhaps it may be difficult to make that first step - as in common - to transfer our knowledge, ideas, needs, desires, plans into actions. I thought it may be useful to see previous exemplary models and the following hadith came to mind straight away. All we need to do is just pick one to start with ... insya-Allah.

Once the Prophet (saw) asked the congregation right after the fajr prayers: “Who began this day fasting?” Abu Bakr said: “I did.” The Prophet (saw) said: “Who participated in a funeral procession today?” Abu Bakr said: “I did”. The Prophet (saw) said: “Who fed a needy person today?” Abu Bakr said: “I did”. He (saw) said: “Who visited a sick person today?” Abu Bakr said: “I did”. "Then", the Prophet said: “These things cannot all meet in a single person but that he will enter Paradise.” [Muslim]

Finding God

Alhamdulillah! I was involved in an inter-faith dialogue session yesterday. Each of the speakers representing the various faiths gave a lecture each, culminating in a panel discussion. Unlike many other of such sessions which I have participated, yesterday's session was refreshingly lively - many people stood up to share their inspirational experiences and most importantly, they posed thoughtful (as opposed to the mundane repetitive ones) questions.

I wish to share the jist of the last question. It came from a man who has lived and prayed in various places of worship - being an orphan, he was brought up by people of different faiths and has since lived in a temple, a mosque, a seminary etc. Now when he is older, he spends most of his time in the community clubs assisting the community in which he serves. He asked whether he has been wrong in his service at those places of worship and that he should quit serving the people and go back to the temple in his old age.

The strange thing was that none of the panelist wanted to answer this question - but I supposed for obvious reasons. The microphone was given to me and I thought there is a simple Islamic response to this.

I began by saying that he is indeed a "man of the world" in which tremendous rounds of applause ensued. Then I ventured to say that such questions are commonly asked by thinking men, perhaps for validation, but equally and regrettably, (religious) man is equally eager to respond to such question definitively. When he does so, he assumes the role of God - by replying either way. That none of us, how godly he seems to others, is indeed God. Muslims leave that role to The Wise who Judges fairly.

Islam propounds the concept of responsiblity in two tiers: to God (which is a personal relationship he builds) and to man (which is his social/community relationship and responsibility). That without him serving his community, the rest of us would not be able to be there yesterday night. In Islam, these matters are not contradictory, it must go hand-in-hand together - and I did expressed how I wished to see more Muslims coming out and serving the community as he did.

But, what I was dying to share with the audience was an educational point: I stated that the Buddhist, Christians and the Catholics share the same viewpoint. In fact the following hadith which I quoted has a very similar verse in the Bible - which surprised the representative of the Catholic faith sitting beside me. Whatever their faiths, service to mankind is a path towards serving God. Serving mankind enables one to enliven their faith in God. Knowing oneself and knowing mankind, one begins to know God. I ended with the following revolutionary hadith:

"The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "(God) will (question a person) on the Day of Resurrection (saying)): 'O son of Adam, I was sick but you did not visit Me.' The person will say: 'O my Lord, how could I visit Thee when Thou art the Lord of the worlds?' Thereupon (God) will say: 'Didn't you know that a servant of Mine was sick but you did not visit him, and were you not aware that if you had visited him, you would have found Me by him?'

(God will then say) 'O son of Adam, I asked you for food but you did not feed Me.' The person will say: 'My Lord, how could I feed Thee when Thou art the Lord of the worlds?' (God) will say: 'Didn't you know that a servant of Mine asked you for food but you did not feed him, and were you not aware that if you had fed him you would have found him by My side?' (Muslim)

Balanced Fitness

If you feel confused about my seemingly neither-here-nor-there entries (religion, music, movies, books, fitness etc) - it is a mere illustration of striking a balance of how a Muslim should lead his life.

Where the previous 2 entries spoke of physical fitness, the following 2 entries addressed the matter of mental fitness. It is not contradictory. It is not confusing. It is real. It is what we face daily.

That is the point :)

Arba'in

Matan al-Arba’in is another one of Imam Nawawi’s great books which have stood the test of time. For more than 800 years, this collection of Forty Hadith has lighted the path of believers “whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day". Each of the Hadith included in this collection sets forth one of the fundamental points of Islam and is a sahih Hadith taken mostly from the Sahihayn of al-Bukhari and Muslim. The English translation is published as a service to the students and ordinary people who are not well grounded in Arabic.

Imam Nawawi collected and sourced these 40 Hadiths back to one of the sahabaeen (companions of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), which was no small task. From the whole corpus of our Hadith literature, his efforts to make it reachable to non-scholarly Muslims by selecting these 40 crucial Hadiths have benefitted us since then. May Allah reward him abundantly, Amin.

I will start a class based on this book next week. Students of the class are also warned to read the text prior to class and to think through the issues prior to the class. There will be so much to cover, hence preparation will be crucial.

Our intentions of studying this book are various. Whatever it may be, the benefits are tremendous. It is instructive to read from an Introduction by Imam Nawawi taken from this Book:

It has been transmitted to us on the authority of Ali bin Abi Talib, Abdullah bin Masud, Muadh bin Jabal, Abu Al-Darda, Ibn Omar, Ibn Abbas, Anas bin Malik, Abu Hurairah and Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with them all, through many chains of authorities and in various versions, that the messenger of Allah said: "Whosoever memorises and preserves for my people forty hadith relating to their religion, Allah will resurrect him on the Day of Judgment in the company of jurists and religious scholars".

In another version it reads: "Allah will resurrect him as a jurist and religious scholar". In the version of Abu Al-Darda it reads: "On the Day of Judgment I shall be an intercessor and a witness for him". In the version of Ibn Masud it reads: "It will be said to him: Enter by whichever of the doors of Paradise you wish". In the version of Ibn Omar it reads: "He will be written down in the company of the religious scholars and will be resurrected in the company of the martyrs".

Scholars of hadith agreed that it is a weak hadith despite its many lines of transmission... I have asked Allah Almightly for guidance in bringing together forty hadith in emulation of those eminent religious leaders and guardians of Islam. Religious scholars are agreed it is permissible to put into practice a weak hadith if virtuous deeds are concerned; despite this, I do not rely on this hadith but on his having said the [following] sound hadith: "Let him who was a witness among you inform him who was absent", and on his having said: "May Allah make radiant [the face of] someone who has heard what I have said, has learnt it by heart and has transmitted it as he heard it".

Furthermore, there were some religious scholars who brought together forty hadiths on the basic rules of religion, on subsidiary matters, or on jihad, while others did so on asceticism, on rules of conduct or on sermons. All these are godly aims-may Allah be pleased with those who pursued them. I, however, considered it best to bring together forty hadith more important than all of these, being forty hadith which would incorporate all of these, each hadith being one of the great precepts of religion, described by religious scholars as being "the axis of Islam " or "the half of Islam" or "the third of it", or the like, and to make it a rule that these forty hadith be [classified as] sound and that the majority of them be in the sahihs of Al-Bukhari and Muslim. I give them without the chains of authorities so as to make it easier to memorise them and to make them of wider benefit if Allah Almighty wills... On Allah do I rely and depend and to Him do I entrust myself; to Him be praise and grace, and with Him is success and immunity [to errors]."

al-Maqasid

Maqasid is the Arabic word for "goals" or "purposes". In Islamic context, it can refer to the purposes of Islamic faith, zakat (charity tax), pilgrimage or even of the Qur'an's and Sunnah's text.

Surprisingly, not many people are aware of this but in terms of Syariah, there are five Maqasid (foundational goals): these are the preservation of: 1) Religion 2) Life 3) Intellect 4) Honour 5) Property.

al-Maqasid, the book, is a guide to Islam written by Imam Nawawi. It presents the basic teachings of Islam from a traditional perspective. Topics include: Fundamentals of Faith and Sacred Law, Purification, The Prayer (Salat), Zakat, Fasting, the Pilgrimage (Hajj), and more. Famous Fiqh handbooks like al-Maqasid have stood the test of time because of their sheer usefulness. Compact enough to be memorized by students intending to become scholars, al-Maqasid contains hundreds of rulings of personal Islamic law distilled from the most commonly asked and answered questions in schools and mosques from the time of the Prophet (saw) down to Imam Nawawi. This new edition has been appended to include why Muslims follow madhabs, hadiths, the lack of mujtahid Imams and the place of Sufism in Islam. Those using Reliance of the Traveller as a text will find this to be a good overview as well.

It is also known in English as the Manual of Islam and is one of the easier to understand translated works on Islam.

I have just began conducting this course last week and will be doing so for the next 20 weeks. There are many ways to conduct this: I chose to instruct this book from a practical perspective with new presenting issues. My students have been asked to read and think of those issues before attending the weekly class.

I hope in the end, it will benefit those who attends. I pray that I will succeed in planting that seed of faith through this course. The journey is still a long way ahead...

Insya-Allah, Amin.

Personal Trainers

The concept is similar: On the path of knowing our faith, we need religious intructions from people who have mastered and studied the path to guide us. On the path of spirituality, we need shuyukh who have tasted that sweetness of faith to lead us towards tasting that sweetness which he has tasted. On the path towards health, we need a personal trainer to train us properly towards achieveing a balanced outcome. Below is an extract from wikipedia:

A personal trainer is a professional who educates people about physical fitness. Personal trainers are also referred to as "trainers," but should not be confused with athletic trainers. Personal trainers typically design exercise routines and teach physical exercises to their trainees. While some personal trainers work with only one client each session, others also teach groups of clients (like in aerobics).

Personal trainers typically work with clients to improve body composition (weight loss or muscle gain). They may also be hired for more specific goals, such as an increase in strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, or flexibility. Some trainers are qualified to improve sports performance, including speed and power. While not as common, some trainers may also be qualified to work with people who need help with physical dysfunction, including the improvement of balance, range of motion, knee and shoulder issues, and those released from physical therapy.

Personal trainers work with clients on several time intervals. Some clients meet for a single session to answer questions and to develop an exercise program (or to ensure that their existing program is balanced). Others prefer to work with a trainer for several months for the purposes of motivation, variety, exercise design, or to work toward a specific goal. And still others work with a trainer indefinitely for motivation, accountability, variety, or to ensure consistent progress.

Personal trainers often also have a specific method of motivating clients. Common techniques for motivation include demeanor (some trainers have an aggressive and commanding demeanor; others are more calm and supportive); incentives for reaching goals; and positive re-framing or visualization.

Typically a personal trainer will first do a health screen to make sure the trainee is cleared for exercise. If necessary, a doctor's consent may be obtained. A waiver is typically signed to release the personal trainer of legal obligations.

Personal trainers will usually proceed through an intake evaluation, either verbal or written, to identify goals and concerns. Fitness testing may follow, usually measuring indicators of physical fitness. These tests may include tests of strength, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, and postural abnormalities. In addition, body composition (body fat) is often evaluated. Specific numerical measurements of body fat and cardiovascular health can help clients to set specific goals.

For the typical requirements of a client seeking a change in body composition, a complete routine will include a warm up, dynamic (not ballistic) range-of-motion movement (static stretching is no longer placed before exercise), strength exercises and/or cardiovascular exercise, a cool down, and static stretching. Many trainers will add supplemental exercises.

Most trainers will complete a session by running through the exercises they have selected for that day, selecting how much weight the client should be using, and explaining how many repetitions and sets a client will perform.

If there are postural issues, a trainer may add exercises for the rotator cuffs, shoulders, etc. These are used to correct existing abnormalities, and at times may be used even up to a month before beginning the more basic exercises in order to prevent injury.

Some trainers begin all trainees on machines and rely on machines for progress. However, many fitness professionals believe that machines force the joints to work with a fixed axis, which can cause injury over time. They also believe that certain machines lead to injury, especially in people who arrive at the gym with pre-existing knee or shoulder problems. In addition, these trainers also believe that the body should be exercised using its natural movement patterns (instead of machines). They claim that this helps the body to use all the muscles in coordination to promote stabilization and a balance of strength within each muscle group. Proponents of free weights favor the ability to use more variation to change the stimulus on the muscle and the ability to perform certain exercises which are not possible with machines. These trainers typically only use machines with cables.

And take my word for it ... weights-less/no-machines trainings are really so much tougher :)

Being Healthy

Welcome back! And a Happy New Hijriah Year to all!

I have been inundated with many queries as to the long silence in this Blog. There is no excuse to it - I have been truly occupied with other obligations and have been busy with new commitments. Yes, there are still many things to say and to be said, and I pray it will not end, but I will begin the new hijriah year with this new resolution (?) yet again - but this time, it is being put into practice, and it has been absolutely great. Cryptic? Yes ... so intended.

It dawned on me that I do not find many Muslims being conscious about being healthy or sporty. For example, one hardly sees Muslims training at the gym or being involved in a disciplined sports - (once a month of soccer or running to the taxi stand does not count - oopss, that sounds like me :) - well, at least in Singapore.

On the contrary, Islam attaches much importance to sports and health in order to create a physically powerful generation or ummah. Islam advises Muslims to teach their children shooting, swimming, and horsemanship. "Teaching thy children writing swimming and shooting is a duty." The Prophet (saw) also adds "Teach thy children shooting and train them on horsemanship till they excel" and since these were the only sports known at the Prophet's time, then, Islam encourages all the sports known to us in the time being.

Apart from sports, it is all over the Qur'an and sunnah on health matters such as nutrition ("O you people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good..."(2:168), family planning ("And Allah has made for you spouses of your own kind and has made for you, from your wives, sons and grandsons, and has bestowed upon you good provisions" (al-Nahl 72), personal hygiene (The Messenger of Allah said: Cleanliness is half of faith and Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) fills the scale, and SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah) and Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) fill up what is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one's faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Qur'an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves (Sahih Muslim), medical ethics ("...We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people. And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people..." (Qur'an 5:32) etc etc.

What we find from the above is that at times, such matters are put on par in priority to matters of worship - and that signifies the importance of being healthy and keeping fit in Islam. In any case, from a philosophical point of view - this physical body which we have is indeed on loan from Allah, The Almighty. Therefore, since it is merely a "borrowed item on borrowed time", we have to maintain and upkeep it.

In that spirit, we keep our chest and shoulder open during the performance of tawaf - as historically, the beloved Prophet wants the people to see how strong and physically matured Muslims are.

A physically-abled and fit Muslim is a mentally-abled and fit Muslim. Hmmm ... now, that explains ...

Time to take out that running shoes or hit the gym, don't you think?

Its (Not) Your Prayers

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."

The Last Sermon

(This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the Uranah Valley of Mt. Arafat)

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived...

Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and comitted helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery.

O People, listen to me in earnest, whorship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. You are all equal. Nobody has superiority over another except by piety and good actions.

Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur'an and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me direcly. Be my witness, O Allah that I have conveyed your message to your people."

A Case Of Indigestion

A man came to Bahaudin Naqshband, and said: 'I have travelled from one teacher to another, and I have studied many Paths, all of which have given me great benefits and many advantages of all kinds. 'I wish to be enrolled as one of your disciples, so that I may drink from the well of knowledge, and thus make myself more and more advanced in the Way.

Bahaudin, instead of answering the question directly, called for dinner to be served. When the dish of rice and meat stew was brought, he pressed plateful after plateful upon his guest. Then he gave him fruits and pastries, and then he called for more pilau (rice), and more and more courses of food, vegetables, salads, confitures.

At first the man was flattered, and as Bahaudin showed pleasure at every mouthful he swallowed, he ate as much as he could. When his eating slowed down, the Sufi Sheikh seemed very annoyed, and to avoid his displeasure, the unfortunate man ate virtually another meal.

When he could not swallow even another grain of rice, and rolled in great discomfort upon a cushion, Bahaudin addressed him in this manner:

'When you came to see me, you were as full of undigested teachings as you now are with meat, rice and fruit. You felt discomfort, and, because you are unaccustomed to spiritual discomfort of the real kind, you interpreted as a hunger for more knowledge. Indigestion was your real condition.

'I can teach you if you will now follow my instructions and stay here with me digesting by means of activities which will not seem you to be initiatory, but which will be equal to the eating of something which will enable your meal to be digested and transformed into nutrition, not weight.'

The man agreed.

He told his story many decades later, when he became famous as the great teacher Sufi Khalili Ashrafzada.

...Wisdom of the Idiots, Idries Shah

Me, Myself and I

One went to the door of the beloved and knocked.

A voice asked: 'Who is there?'
He answered: 'It is I.'
The voice said: 'There is no room here for me and thee.'

The door was shut.

After a year of solitude and deprivation this man returned to the door of the beloved.

He knocked.
A voice from within asked. 'Who is here?'
That man said: 'It is thou.'
The door was opened for him.

Whispered Prayer Of The Rememberers

My God,

were it not incumbent to accept Thy command,
I would declare Thee far too exalted for me to remember Thee,
for I remember Thee in my measure,
not in Thy measure,
and my scope can hardly reach the point
where I may be a locus for calling Thee holy!
Among Thy greatest favours to us
is the running of Thy remembrance across our tongues
and Thy permission to us
to supplicate Thee,
declare Thee exalted,
and call Thee holy!

My God,
inspire us with Thy remembrance
alone and in assemblies,
by night and day,
publicly and secretly,
in prosperity and adversity!
Make us intimate with silent remembrance,
employ us in purified works and effort pleasing to Thee,
and reward us with the full balance!

My God,
love-mad hearts are enraptured by Thee,
disparate intellects are brought together by knowing Thee,
hearts find no serenity except in remembering Thee,
souls find no rest except in seeing Thee.
Thou art the glorified in every place,
the worshipped at every time,
the found at every moment,
the called by every tongue,
the magnified in every heart!
I pray forgiveness from Thee for
every pleasure but remembering Thee,
every ease but intimacy with Thee,
every happiness but nearness to Thee,
every occupation but obeying Thee!

My God,
Thou hast said - and Thy word is true -
O you who have faith,
remember God with much remembrance
and glorify Him at dawn and in the evening!
Thou hast said - and Thy word is true -
Remember Me, and I will remember you!
Thou hast commanded us to remember Thee,
and promised us that Thou wilt remember us thereby,
in order to ennoble, respect, and honour us.
Here we are, remembering Thee as Thou hast commanded us!
So accomplish what Thou hast promised,
O Rememberer of the rememberers!
O Most Merciful of the merciful!

Untying Knots

'The aim of prayer is not only the securing of particular favours, but also a purification of the soul: it loosens psychic knots or, in other words, dissolves subconscious coagulations and drains away many tensions of the soul, which presupposes that the soul be humble and truthful, and this disclosure, carried out in the face of the Absolute has the virtue of re-establishing equilibrium and restoring peace - in a word, of opening us to grace'...

'God tests by removing, man proves by renouncing. The renunciation may be inward and independent of facts; in that case it is detachment. He is detached who never forgets the ephemeral nature of what he possesses and who looks on these things as being lent to him and not as possessions'.

'Now our mental space - the substance or energy containing or producing thought - is in itself consciousness of divine reality; the mind emptied of all coagulations ‘thinks’ God by its very substance in ‘holy silence’ man being made in the image of God'.

...Prayer Fashions Man, Frithjof Schuon

In The Hearts Of Men

The moving and instructional epitaph on Mevlana Rumi's tomb reads:

'When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men.’

And in one of his poems read this beautiful advice:

be like a river in generosity and help
be like the sun in tenderness and mercy
be like the night in covering the faults of others
be like the dead in anger and nervousness
be like the earth in modesty and humility
be like the sea in tolerance
be like your appearance (image), or appear like yourself.

I Try

Ahhhhh, sublime ... I Try by Macy Gray

Of Pride

Spiritually speaking, pride consists in attributing to oneself what is due to God. It poisons and kills every value, for as soon as a good is claimed in its cause and in its essence by man, it is transmuted into evil: it embraces the limitations of the creature and engenders limitations in its turn; pride appropriates the divine gift and then strangles it. A good vivifies insofar as it comes from God, not insofar as it is handed on by man, nor above all insofar as it is usurped by man.

Man deems himself good even before God, who is Perfection, and when he endeavours to recognise his wretchedness, he again deems himself good on account of this effort.

... Prayer Fashions Man, Frithjoh Schuon

On Prayers

1. Establishing Prayer Develops Taqwa (Fear and Awareness of Allah):
“This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guidance for those who have taqwa; who believe in the unseen, and who establish Salah, and spend out of what we have provided for them” (2: 2-3)

2. Prayer Is the Sign of a Believer:
“The believers, men and women, are protecting friends of one another; they enjoin good and forbid evil, and they establish Salah, and give Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on them, and surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (9: 71)

3. Establishing Prayer Leads to Allah’s External Blessings:
“So whatever you have been given is but (a passing) enjoyment for this worldly life, but that which is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. And those who avoid the great sins and lewdness, and when they are angry, they forgive. And those who answer the Call of their Lord, and perform the Salah, and who conduct their affairs by mutual consultation, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them.” (42:36-38)

4. Those Who Pray Shall Have Nothing to Fear on the Day of Judgment:
“Truly, those who believe and do righteous deeds, and perform prayer, and give Zakah, they will have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (2:277)

5. Remain in Allah’s remembrance after prayer:
“When finished performing the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, and reclining, but when you are free from danger, perform the Salah. Surely, Salah is enjoined on the believers at
fixed times.” (4:103)

6. Command to Pray with Congregation:
“And establish Prayer and give Zakah, and bow down (in worship) along with those who bow down (in worship)” (2:43)

7. Special Command Regarding Punctuality of Prayer:
“Guard strictly the Prayer, especially the middle prayer. And stand before Allah with obedience.” (2:238)

8. Allah’s Help Comes Through Prayer:
“Seek help through patience and Salah; truly it is extremely difficult except for the humble true believers.” (2:45)

“Oh you who believe! Seek help through patience and Prayer. Truly, Allah is with those who are patient.” (2:153)

9. Special Emphasis on Friday Prayer:
“Oh you who believe! When the call is made for the Friday on Friday, come to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business. That is better for you, if you only knew! And when the Prayer has ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allah, and remember Allah much so that you may be successful.” (62:09-10)

10. Shaytaan Tries His Best in Finding Ways to Take You Away from Prayer:
“Shaytaan desires only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from the Prayer. So will you then not abstain (from these evils)?” (5:91)

11. Prayer Protects Against Evils;
“Recite that which has been revealed to you of the Book, and perform the Prayers. Verily, Prayer prevents from lewdness and evils. And indeed, the remembrance of Allah (by you) is greatest. And Allah knows what you do.” (29:45)

12. Friendship Should Be with Those Who Pray:
“Indeed, your protecting friend (Wali) is none other than Allah, His Messenger, and the Believers who establish Prayer, and give Zakat, and bow down (in prayer). (5: 55)

13. Allah’s Special Order to Women:
“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform the Prayer, and give Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove uncleanness from you, Oh people of the House, and to purify you with a thorough purification.” (33:33)

14. Hypocrites Are Lazy in Prayer:
“Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He who deceives them; When they stand up for Prayer, they stand with laziness, only to be seen by men; and they do not remember Allah but a little.” (4:142)

15. Laziness in Prayers Leads to Rejection of Sadaqa:
“And nothing prevents their Sadaqa from being accepted from them, except that they disbelieve in Allah and in His Messenger, and that they do not come to Salah except in a lazy manner, and that they do not give Sadaqa except unwillingly.” (9:54)

16. Leaving Prayer Leads to Shirk:
“(And remain always) turning to Him (only), and be fearful and dutiful towards Him, and perform Prayer and be not of those who commit Shirk.” (30: 31)

17. Previous Nations Were Corrupted when Prayer Was Left
“Then, there came after them a generation who gave up Prayer and followed lusts; so they will be thrown in Hell.” (19: 59)

Fire and Rain

Fire and Rain - James Taylor

Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Susanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to

I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again

Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around
Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things
to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you, baby, one more time again, now

Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around, now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you fire and rain, now

I Saw You Dancing Last Night

I saw you dancing last night
on the roof of your house
all alone.

I felt your heart longing for the Friend.
I saw you whirling
beneath the soft bright rose
that hung from an invisible stem in the sky.

So I began to change into my best clothes
in hopes of joining you,
even though I live a thousand miles away.

And if you had spun like an immaculate sphere
just two more times,
then bowed again so sweetly to the east,
you would have found God and me
standing so near
and lifting you into our arms.

... Hafiz of Shiraj

The Beginning Of Guidance

"You should not neglect your time or use it haphazardly; on the contrary you should bring yourself to account, structure your litanies and other practices during each day and night, and assign to each period a fixed and specific function. This is how to bring out the spiritual blessing (barakah) in each period.

But if you leave yourself adrift, aimlessly wandering as cattles do, not knowing how to occupy yourself at every moment, your time will be lost. It is nothing other than your life, and your life is the capital that you make use of to reach perpetual felicity in the proximity of God, the Exalted.

Each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, since each of them is irreplaceable and, once gone, can never be retrieved. Do not be like that deceived fools who are joyous because each day their wealth increases while their life shortens. What good is an increase in wealth when life grows ever shorter?

Therefore be joyous only for an increase in knowledge or in good works, for they are your two companions who will accompany you in your grave when your family, wealth, children and friends stay behind."

Deliverance From Error

As to those who, professing a lip-faith in the Prophet, adulterate religion with philosophy, they really deny inspiration, since in their view the Prophet is only a sage whom a superior destiny has appointed as guide to men, and this view belies the true nature of inspiration. To believe in the Prophet is to admit that there is above intelligence a sphere in which are revealed to the inner vision truths beyond the grasp of intelligence, just as things seen are not apprehended by the sense of hearing, nor things understood by that of touch. If our opponent denies the existence of such a higher region, we can prove to him, not only its possibility, but its actuality. If, on the contrary, he admits its existence, he recognizes at the same time that there are in that sphere things which reason can not grasp; nay, which reason rejects as false and absurd. Suppose, for instance, that the fact of dreams occurring in sleep were not so common and notorious as it is, our wise men would not fail to repudiate the assertion that the secrets of the invisible world can be revealed while the senses are, so to speak, suspended.

Again, if it were to be said to one of them, "Is it possible that there is in the world a thing as small as a grain, which being carried into a city can destroy it and afterward destroy itself so that nothing remains either of the city or of itself?" "Certainly," he would exclaim, "it is impossible and ridiculous." Such, however, is the effect of fire, which would certainly be disputed by one who had not witnessed it with his own eyes. Now, the refusal to believe in the mysteries of the other life is of the same kind. As to the fourth cause of the spread of unbelief---the decay of faith owing to the bad example set by learned men---there are three ways of checking it.

(1) One can answer thus: "The learned man whom you accuse of disobeying the divine law knows that he disobeys, as you do when you drink wine or exact usury or allow yourself in evil-speaking, lying, and slander. You know your sin and yield to it, not through ignorance, but because you are mastered by concupiscence. The same is the case with the learned man. How many believe in doctors who do not abstain from fruit and cold water when strictly forbidden them by a doctor! That does not prove that those things are not dangerous, or that their faith in the doctor was not solidly established. Similar errors on the part of learned men are to be imputed solely to their weakness."

(2) Or again, one may say to a simple and ignorant man: "The learned man reckons upon his knowledge as a viaticum for the next life. He believes that his knowledge will save him and plead in his favor, and that his intellectual superiority will entitle him to indulgence; lastly, that if his knowledge increases his responsibility, it may also entitle him to a higher degree of consideration. All that is possible; and even if the learned man has neglected practice, he can at any rate produce proofs of his knowledge. But you, poor, witless one, if, like him, you neglect practice, destitute as you are of knowledge, you will perish without anything to plead in your favor."

(3) Or one may answer, and this reason is the true one: "The truly learned man only sins through carelessness, and does not remain in a state of impenitence. For real knowledge shows sin to be a deadly poison, and the other world to be superior to this. Convinced of this truth, man ought not to exchange the precious for the vile. But the knowledge of which we speak is not derived from sources accessible to human diligence, and that is why progress in mere worldly knowledge renders the sinner more hardened in his revolt against God."

True knowledge, on the contrary, inspires in him who is initiate in it more fear and more reverence, and raises a barrier of defense between him and sin. He may slip and stumble, it is true, as is inevitable with one encompassed by human infirmity, but these slips and stumbles will not weaken his faith. The true Muslim succumbs occasionally to temptation, but he repents and will not persevere obstinately in the path of error.