Circumspecte

Nor say of anything, "I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow," without adding, so please Allah!" And call thy Lord to mind when thou forgetest, and say, "I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the right road." - Surah 18: 23, Al-Khaf (The Cave) This is undoubtedly one of my favorite chapters in the Holy Qu'ran . It tells the story of some young Muslims and their dog who came upon a cave when fleeing their enemies. Allah caused them to fall into a deep slumber, sealed the cave and saved them from their pursuers. When they awoke they wondered how long they had been asleep, and God commanded them to go into town to find out. They literally woke up in another time/era, the exact of which remains unknown to all but Allah. Why I like it? I can't pinpoint one thing. Maybe it's the comfort of knowing that God protects his own, or that He lovingly guides us to the best path/situation. Perhaps I find it amusing that what seems ...

In an authentic Hadith, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:  "Man is influenced by the faith of his friends. Therefore, be careful of whom you associate with." One of the distinct features of Ramadan that I have come to love is the feeling of camaraderie, of being one anther's keeper and of going out of ones way to show love and support. In my opinion, (wo)man's capacity for kindness is never more evident than during this Holy month. Its a time when complete strangers sit together in prayer shoulder to shoulder for hours and contemplate the wonders of God's creative abilities. When families who live in the same house yet have very separate lives pause for a moment and rediscover one another. When people go out of their way to lend a helping hand to the needy and orphaned in society. And perhaps, what's most beautiful, when the indescribable bond between humanity - Muslims and non-Muslims - is renewed. Over the years and during my time away from home I have experi...

So, today's a special day in the Islamic Calendar. It's the day of Arafat - a day when all the Hajj pilgrims descend upon Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia under a state of "Ihram" (purity) and commune one on one with Allah. It's an open doorway to the heavenly chamber where gratitude, asking for forgiveness, committing oneself and praying for anything really rule supreme. Mount Arafat has a huge significance in Islam. It is believed that Adam and Eve found each other at that location after being cast out of paradise. It is also believed that Judgement Day will take place at that very mount. Perhaps, the most important thing about Mount Arafat for the world's millions of Muslims is the fact that it was on that very mountain that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) "perfected" Islam with his final sermon. For my Muslim brothers and sisters, I believe this is a great reminder about our rights and responsibilities as Muslims, and for how we should lead our lives. Fo...

This is a piece that found me in the dead of night (3am). Originally typed it on my phone, and wonder of wonders, my screen froze and I lost the original. I have tried my best to recapture what I remember of the original piece, although, knowing what that one was, I doubt this comes close. All the same, enjoy, and do share your thoughts :) -- Atypical Love Affair It starts quite innocently, as most love affairs do. A spoken word here, a stolen glance there, a shiver down the spine. It starts with the simple mention of a name, but it’s the mysterious undertones - the whos, whats, wheres, hows and whys - those are what send you spiraling forth. No turning back, drawn in under the spell, you hold your breath to relive it one more time. Burning desire coursing through your soul, exhale suspended long after the moment unfolds. It awakens, like most love affairs do. A fluttering of lips against skin, eyes locked in duel, palm in hand. Yet even after the winds tamper those imprints,...

All too soon, we have come to the end of another opportunity to partake in the Holy Month of Ramadan. Pending the moon sighting, there are speculations that Eid-ul-Fitr (the festival celebrating the end of Ramadan) will take place on Friday, September 10 or Saturday, September 11. Either way, Alhamdulilahi, we've made it through another Ramadan and for that we should give thanks. But that's not the purpose of this post. I'll do a recap on my Ramadan experience later. For this post I'd like to talk about the Pastor in Florida who in all his wisdom has decided to organize a "Burn a Qu'ran" Day: Rev. Terry Jones. A Meeting of Significance: September 11, 2010 Yes, Mr. Jones is a pastor in a relatively small town in Florida, and yes, he only has a congregation of 50, but his actions, or rather his proclamations, bear a lot of weight. Why? Because he has chosen two 'things' that are important to not just tens or hundreds, but millions of people: t...

I'm tempted to agree with those who say that silence is the language of the soul, because words are not enough. I'm sitting on my bed, mac on lap, tryna think up the best way to express what I'm feeling right this moment, but I can't find the words. They don't do the feeling any justice. After a little hide and seek with the moon, Ramadan finally came upon those of us in Senegal. Others in France, Saudi Arabia and Ghana started yesterday, but we got another day to "prepare". But tell me, can you ever adequately prepare for Ramadan? Each year, it's the same, but slightly different. For me the consistency has been a calmness of mind, heart and soul that I can only call peace. I can't explain it fully, but over the past couple of years, my entire system kicks into auto-gear with the arrival of Ramadan and I just trust. Yes, there are still hopes, there are still fears, but over that month, it doesn't matter. Maybe its because of the heavenly pre...

 Inspired by a condominium of thoughts, and stylistically influenced by my interpretation of Regina Spektor's "Eet" They call it an outer body experience. And they're right, that's exactly what it is. It's like floating out in the universe, and watching the earth chug along on its axis. Like planning a speech to the very last detail, only to be tongue-tied when the grand moment arrives. Kin to doing the very thing you said you would never, ever, for the life of you do, and being achingly conscious as you're doing it. It's like being a mannequin on Fashion Ave. in NYC, oohed and aahed at, but never quite understood. -- They call it an outer body experience, but they forget the inner-body element. The fact that each is a universe onto themselves, and that's what makes living so  annoyingly complex. Eerily similar to that Grey's episode where a woman awoke during surgery and stared  down at her entrails. Unable to move, unable to scream, unab...

This is how it ends. You. Stuck underground with a hundred or so unsuspecting victims. Only, you’re not in the warm embrace of the earth. You’re in a train, and the conductor hasn’t said a word in the last 20 or so minutes. Segments of recent news reports play back in your mind: “And in Moscow…rush hour…tens dead and hundreds injured.” Doesn’t do much to help your current situation, does it? People are getting restless. The group of three – Indian, you suppose – students chatter on, but the continuous fidgeting of a jean clad leg bemoans their growing boredom. The lady next to you squats down; obviously fatigued from standing for the last…30 minutes now. And you. Music still blaring from your ipod, you take out your notepad and jot down observations. Lady next to you is up again, and she’s struck a conversation with the passenger next to her. If the entire world were locked up in a confined space, we wouldn’t have a choice than to become best friends…or worse enemies. Either w...