Archive for Poetry/Quote
12.18.06
Posted in Poetry/Quote at 1:17 pm by Abbas
This hadith/story struck deep into my heart, alhamdulillah. It will put everything in perspective and give us the needed hope that we all desire and want. It is a very simple, but deep idea and I believe it all comes down to our level of imaan (faith) and our level of taqwa (God-consciousness).
A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and the Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin.The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: “you have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t moved.” Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.
Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.”
That’s what he planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”
The Lord responded compassionately, “My Servant, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard.
Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that, which you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. Now I, my servant, will move the rock.”
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains.
Imam Ali (a): Your responsibility is not to reach your goals, but to try and endeavor (and to act upon your responsibility).
(source: Pearls of Wisdom 84)
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12.06.06
Posted in Poetry/Quote at 9:50 pm by Abbas
lmam Ali (a)said,
‘Love of Allah (SWT) is a fire, which does not pass by anything without burning it up; the light of Allah (SWT) does not come over something without illuminating it.
The skies of Allah (SWT) do not cause a cloud to appear without it covering whatever is beneath it; the wind of Allah (SWT) does not blow on something without it moving.
Allah (SWT)’s water gives life to everything, and from Allah (SWT)’s earth everything grows. Whoever loves Allah (SWT) is given every possession and authority.’
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11.08.06
Posted in Poetry/Quote at 12:27 am by Abbas
Great quote, for all of us to ponder upon. Let us all eradicate this disease of deceiving, and lying. Its not healthy and you will pay a price for it. God is Just.
Imam Abi-Muhammad-al-’Askari, the eleventh Imam, [a] said: “Wickedness was put inside a house, and the key (of its door) was rendered to be lies.”
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 263
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10.20.06
Posted in Current Events, Poetry/Quote at 11:45 am by Abbas
Your Excellency Pope Benedict XVI
With greeting,
Considering your utterances in Germany rebuking and reproaching Islam and the rule of Islamic warfare, hurting the feelings of all Moslems, I, as one of the Moslems’ religious authorities, having many followers all around the world, and writer of more than 130 books in various Islamic sciences, including more than 40 books about commentary of Holy Quran, invite you to participate in a scientific and logical debate with live broadcast with me to discuss about two issues:
1-Does Islam advocate violence or it invites to peace, amity and kindness?
2-Did Islam spread throughout the world through the force of sword or the extreme logic, reasoning and attraction of Islamic culture?
I will be glad to declare that I leave its time and location to you, and do not have any condition for it. I hope you would declare your agreement with this.
Wishing your ever success.
(source: http://www.makarems hirazi.org/ english/modules. php?name= News&file=print&sid=294)
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10.08.06
Posted in Poetry/Quote at 5:52 pm by Abbas
The ‘arif (or someone who keeps his/her thought turned perpetually towards the realm of light in order that the light of the Real shine in his heart) desires the Real (God) not for the sake of something else, and he values nothing above his knowledge of the Real, and his worship of Him is because He is worthy of worship and it is a worthy way of relating himself to Him; it is not out of desire (for rewards) or fear (of chastisement).
The meaning of this is that in terms of his aims the ‘arif is a muwahhid. He seeks only God, yet his desire of God is not on account of His gifts in this world or in the Hereafter. Were such to be the case, the real object of his desire would be the gifts, God being only the preliminary means by which the desired gifts are sought. In such a case, in reality, the final object of worship and desire would be one’s own self; for the purpose of seeking those gifts is the pleasure of the self.
However, the ‘arif desires whatever he desires for the sake of God. When he desires the gifts of God he does so because they are from Him, and are His favours. They represent His Grace and Magnanimity. So, while the non-’arif seeks God for the sake of His gifts, the ‘arif seeks the gifts of God for the sake of God.
Here the question may arise, if the ‘arif does not seek God for the sake of anything, then why does he worship Him? Is it not true that every act of worship must have a purpose? Ibn Sina’s passage contains the answer. He states that the goal and motivation of the ‘arif’s worship is one of two things. One is the inherent worthiness of the Worshipped to be worshipped, meaning that one worships God simply because He is worthy of worship. It is rather like someone who upon noticing some admirable qualities in a person or a thing praises that person or thing. If asked what motivated him to utter such praise, or of what benefit was it to him, he will reply that he sought no benefit from his praise, but simply saw that person or thing as being genuinely deserving of praise. This is true of the praise accorded to the heroes or the champions of each and every field.
The other motivation of the ‘arif’s worship is the worthiness of worship itself. It bears an intrinsic nobility and beauty of its own, for it is a connection, a tie, between oneself and God. Thus it has a worthiness of its own, and there is no reason why worship should necessarily entail desire or fear.
Imam ‘Ali (a) has some famous words on this subject:
My God, I do not worship You in fear of Your Fire, nor in desire for Your Paradise, but I find You worthy of worship so I worship You.
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09.17.06
Posted in Personal, Poetry/Quote at 4:40 pm by Abbas
Imam Sadiq [a] said: “When it is the Day of Judgement, a group of people stand and then come to the door of Heaven to knock on it. They will be asked who they are and they will say: ‘We are the people of patience.’ Then, they will be inquired upon what they were patient about, and they will respond: ‘We were patient with the obedience of Allah and were patient with avoiding the sins against Him’. So Allah, Almighty and Glorious, will say they are right and He will let them enter Heaven. This is the word of Allah, Almighty and Glorious, Who says: ‘Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!’” (Sura 39. Verse 10)
AI-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 75
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08.16.06
Posted in Poetry/Quote at 11:09 am by Abbas
Imam Husayn [a] said: “Verily, people are the slaves of the world and their religion is superficial, only on their tongues. They are attentive to it as long as their material benefits are provided, but when they are tested, the number of true devotees dwindles.”
(Bihar-ul-Anwar)
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Posted in Current Events, Poetry/Quote at 12:21 am by Abbas
Dying in the way of Allah is the best of things we can pray for. Being slain for His sake will grant us instant paradise and possibly change the dynamics of a region, community, or ideology. Islam is all about sacrificing our souls and hearts in order to further the cause of Allah (swt). The Holy Prophet [s] said,
“No drop is more beloved with Allah, Almighty and Glorious, than the drop of blood which is poured in the way of Allah.”
May Allah (swt) make us all martyrs and defenders of this very faith we possess, inshaAllah.
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08.15.06
Posted in Poetry/Quote at 11:31 pm by Abbas
Here is some Hafiz (mystic/poet) for you people.
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School of Truth
O fool, do something, so you won’t just stand there looking dumb.
If you are not traveling and on the road, how can you call yourself a guide?
In the School of Truth, one sits at the feet of the Master of Love.
So listen, son, so that one day you may be an old father, too!
All this eating and sleeping has made you ignorant and fat;
By denying yourself food and sleep, you may still have a chance.
Know this: If God should shine His lovelight on your heart,
I promise you’ll shine brighter than a dozen suns.
And I say: wash the tarnished copper of your life from your hands;
To be Love’s alchemist, you should be working with gold.
Don’t sit there thinking; go out and immerse yourself in God’s sea.
Having only one hair wet with water will not put knowledge in that head.
For those who see only God, their vision
Is pure, and not a doubt remains.
Even if our world is turned upside down and blown over by the wind,
If you are doubtless, you won’t lose a thing.
O Hafiz, if it is union with the Beloved that you seek,
Be the dust at the Wise One’s door, and speak!
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