For Those Who Reflect

Faith! An Intermediate Conclusion - Part 1 of 2

2011-09-07T19:34:00.002-06:00

Faith! An Intermediate Conclusion - Part 2 of 2

2011-09-07T19:33:00.002-06:00

Strive in the Race and be In It To Win It

2011-08-21T14:12:00.000-06:00

The Power of Gratitude - Imam Tariq Ansaar Aquil

2011-05-03T23:14:00.000-06:00

A Community Evolved for Service to Humanity - Imam Tariq Ansaar Aquil

2011-01-22T17:48:00.000-06:00

Part 1 of 3 - Maintaining Moral Stability in an Unstable World

2010-09-26T11:35:00.000-06:00

Part 2 of 3 - Maintaining Moral Stability in an Unstable World

2010-09-26T11:34:00.000-06:00

Part 3 of 3 - Maintaining Moral Stability in an Unstable World

2010-09-26T11:33:00.000-06:00

The Social Application of Wudu - Imam Tariq Ansaar Aquil - Part 1 of 3

2010-09-07T16:53:00.000-06:00

The Social Application of Wudu - Imam Tariq Ansaar Aquil - Part 2 of 3

2010-09-07T16:52:00.000-06:00

The Social Application of Wudu - Imam Tariq Ansaar Aquil - Part 3 of 3

2010-09-07T16:51:00.000-06:00

GO AND SIN NO MORE

2010-03-01T07:53:00.005-06:00

We witness that there is no God but Allah and we are indeed witnesses that Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, [saw] born in Arabia over 1430 years is the last Prophet and Allah’s Messenger.

Allah Says in our Holy book, “Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils).” Surah 17.32
When some of the Meccan’s fled to Medinah, the Prophet (saw) was directed by Allah to examine them, take an oath from them. “O Prophet! Take the oath of fealty to thee, that they will not commit adultery (or fornication)”, Surah 60:12.
We are told that if we complete Ramadan correctly – having the right mind and with submission to what pleases Allah, our sins will be forgiven. Then many sin again. After every prayer where the Muslim asked Allah to forgive their sins and Allah, He who hears and Forgives repeatedly accepts the prayer, then people sin again. The Qur’an speaks of a people that are addicted to sin. Contemporary language would call them Sin Junkies. People in need a sin fix daily. (Nafs-e-Ammâra)

Our desire, our objective, our goal should be to reduce error in our life. After receiving the Mercy of Allah and His Forgiveness, our goal should be to... GO AND SIN NO MORE!In scripture, the Book of John verses 8:2 – John 8:11. A word picture is given with Jesus (as) and it says a woman was brought to him after being caught in adultery. The people asked him what should be done with her. The reading goes on to say, when he had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers?
Woman where is your (Nafs-e-Lawwâma). Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus (as) said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: GO, AND SIN NO MORE!(Nafs-e Mutma'innah)

The picture here is of a woman “caught” in adultery. What is the Scripture speaking of? Just about male and female relationships? Surely that is important – but what is higher than our relationship with each other? Is it not our relationship with G-d? So what is adultery? After committing to be in a monogamous relationship that we call Tauheed.After saying that there is no one that we give our whole self to, that we surrender to, that we obey - after entering into that relationship, Adultery is entering into a relationship with or taking into ones inner self or Soul – something against or foreign to the relationship that person has entered into with G-d. That is really the higher concern. Is this not a more serious concern for the life of the human being? After willingly entering into submission to Allah then to let our hearts, minds, desires wonder off after strange relationships with enemies of our proper relationship isn’t that adultery.

Allah Says in The Qur’an, speaking about the one in subordinate position that they should guard what they know should be guarded in the absence of the one to whom they have made a commitment. Although Allah is always present, but in the absence of our ability to perceive His presence – we are told even under those circumstances under that condition still remain steadfast in your fidelity, your trust – stay faithful to Allah – even though we cannot see Him in all his majesty. We must not sell our heart and souls for a “quickie.” For a one-night stand – just to have an affair with our weakness.
We are encouraged to be faithful and not go down the road of adultery, which opens the door to even greater sins? What about the fornicator? This is the person, who may not have acknowledged their duty to enter into Shahaddah [into a proper relationship of servant to the Master – although they have not entered into the marriage vows due to their ignoring their natural inclination, Allah Says in Qur’an every soul has been created with the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. So the person that is associating others with G-d’s Authority – the person that is letting false worship into the sacred relationship – even thought they have not acknowledged a formal relationship they are fornicating - and adultery and fornication are both sins so if we have spiritually, emotionally, mentally committed these sins after today let us … GO, AND SIN NO MORE!

Set Thy Face With Sincerity Towards True Religion

2010-02-20T13:03:00.004-06:00

With The Name of Allah, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer. We seek His Guidance in all matters and Thank Him for Prophet Mohammed, His Excellent Role Model for Humanity. We offer prayers and ask Peace be upon him.

Surah 10:105- “And further (thus): set thy face towards religion with true piety, and never in any wise be of the Unbelievers…”

Waan aqim wajhaka lilddeeni haneefanwala takoonanna mina almushrikeena
ﻮﺝﻬﻚ [Face Appears in Qur’an 29 times] [Whole Self Appears 4 times]

The Face:

Eyes, ( I ) Window to self, the window to the “ I “, perception, Registers information upside down, so must balance the incoming information with aid from the rational MIND. Sight not designed to work alone, needs help understanding the Light it receives from outside itself.

Nose:No Se = Spanish for I don’t know. English: No See or not seeing the material, that which cannot see on its own. Nose is able to work with invisible, spiritual matters, but works in conjunction with other senses. Eye registers material matters and Nose balances the material by adding the spiritual content of the material. Eye may observe something that appears to be good for the human being, but the nose registers the invisible odor that alerts it that the material is spoiled.

Mouth:
The mouth must be open to make intelligent speech. When closed can only make grunts and moans. There must be opportunity, freedom in order for the there to be true expression. The mouth Echoes the work of other agents. Sound is produced with the vocal chord in the larynx. The Mouth does not originate sound it is the vocal chords that vibrate and the mouth is like the echo chamber. They all work together, supporting each other to produce intelligent speech and other sounds. The mouth is the organ of expression for the minds creative products and emotions. The mouth is the messenger for the mind and body.

Ears:The ear works with the invisible but has at its center water. The inner ear in its conical form houses liquid that acts as a level giving balance to the human body. Eustachian tube contains a watery substance that maintains its balance inside the inner ear acting as a gyroscope and aids man in perceiving which way is upright and when he is falling or leaving the upright position.
One on the right and one on the left both act to keep man upright.
The organ which functions to receive sound like the spoken word is also the organ that helps man stand upright.

Head: The human head normally measures to be 1/7th of the body size, yet it takes for itself 50% of all the Sweetest substance in the body. The head utilizes approximately half of the sugar taken into and produced by the body. Under normal circumstances the head is the first to exit the womb when new life comes into the world. It is the out front as the baby beings to crawl and goes on top when the man stands up. The brain which is housed in the head acts as a clearing house for all the information collected by the senses and delivered to the brain. Even the information from the eyes that comes into the optic nerve in a reversed state is sorted, corrected and registered in its correct form by the action of the brain.
The brain is the work horse for the soul as the soul seeks its interest it is the brains function to collect the informational resources to bring into material reality the goals of the soul.

Hair: Agent for registering and transmitting feeling. A covering and padding of external material while increasing sensitivity to the presence of minute material or changes in the spiritual (invisible) space around us. Hair although dead at its extremes tips is able to communicate feelings and sensations due to being connected to life at its roots.

Surah 30:30
So set thou thy face steadily and truly to the Faith: (Establish) Allah's handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah: that is the standard Religion: but most among mankind understand not. AL-Islam as it is read in Arabic "Led deene haneefan fetratal-laahel latee fataran naasa `alayhaa," translated it means AL-Islam is the religion of natural origin, the pattern on which He patterned human society. This religion believes in the excellence of nature and G-d created human beings to live up to and live out the excellence of nature that He created the human for; this is AL-Islam.
All Parts of the FACE have personal, social and spiritual expression Setting the Face or turning the Face to Allah and/or towards the symbols of unity of humanity (Kabbah) indicates that all aspects of the Face must be set, fixed, established, focused and utilized for a purpose pleasing to God.

Surah 4:47O ye People of the Book! believe in what We have (now) revealed, confirming what was (already) with you, before We change the face and fame of some (of you) beyond all recognition, and turn them hindwards, or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers, for the decision of Allah Must be carried out.

In Qur’an Allah Says of some people He will turn their faces backward, hindward or inside out. Reversing the Face means – that none of the facilities indicative of the aspects of the Face will be working for the best interest of the person. Reversing the Face is like making one deaf, dumb and blind.

(Start Quote) IWDM " So how do we get our unity back? G'd says, " So turn all of you your faces to this house." That house symbolized the unity of all people upon the pure human nature and excellent human model that G'd made, that's what that houses symbolizes. That house is a sign, a symbol for the unity of all people from Adam, all the human race, that's what it's a sign of. The Qur'an says, " If you turn your faces towards this Masjid, wherever you may be scattered G'd promises He will bring you together. So G'd has promises that he will bring us together no matter how distant we are from each other he will bring us together. All we have to do is turn our interest back to the common human life and human excellence that G'd created in all people or for all people if they haven't expressed it or realized it yet, that's what G'd says."

" The Kabah is the first home constructed for all people according to the Word of G'd in our Holy Book, the Qur'an, the Book of G'd to us for our life. In that Book G'd says that the first house for worship of G'd for all people is that house in Mecca in Arabic it is pronounced " Awwal al bait." And it is our Qiblah meaning that it is our center, we turn in that direction to make prayer and we also go in that direction or travel to that house to make Hajj to make pilgrimage." "Now, Al Kabtu Qiblate, so here is this house also Al Bait, that's another name for it Al Bait it means the house and Allah swt says that this house is "awwala bayten" the most ancient of houses or literally translated the first of the houses " buneya len Nas " built or constructed for all people. So you see the universality here? The 5th pillar of our religion Al Islam is the pillar of unity, the unity of the human family and it is also the pillar standing, I mean the symbol standing as a message giver, there is a message in it. It is standing as a message giver and it's message is that this is the original social nature that G'd gave Adam when he created Adam, therefore it is your true social nature. And it is the social nature that brings us, puts us first in a family picture that's the first picture of the social nature of man" " The Qiblah is called Qiblah and " Qibalah " means the place of the orientation, the center focus for our orientation. But "Qiblah" also means where the unfolding begins, the unfolding. Like you would have a book and you start to unfold the pages and the book starts on page one, well the Qiblah would be page one and you start unfolding the book. When you look with your imagination you can imagine the Qiblah during the Hajj and the unfolding that takes place with the Qiblah or Kaaba being the center and the people are responding to the Imam and when they rise from the sajdah the Imam first right? he's first. he gives the signal. He's giving the signal and it's a circle, a circle of people there at the Hajj time and they start unfolding with the Imam who stands in front of them. he's the first one and they just start unfolding like a rose or something or like a big flower right? Unfolding from the signal given in the center page one. The Kaaba starts page one. The signal from page one says "unfold” And then the leaves just unfold, open up. Now all over the earth this happens." (End Quote)

Hajj 2009 - The Journey of a Life Time - Photograph Highlights

2009-12-26T21:22:00.009-06:00

2009-10-02T02:15:00.001-06:00

With Allah’s Name
The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer
October 1, 2009
EID UL FITR

We are obligated to acknowledge that Allah is God Alone. That He does not have any partners that share in His ruler-ship of the creation. That He has no equal and that He is Unique. We also acknowledge that through His Mercy Allah has sent numerous Prophets, Messengers and Warner’s to humanity from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad, the seal of the Prophets. [Peace be upon them all]

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallahu, Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wa lillahil Hamd."

Although the fasting of Ramadan is done personally and privately
THERE WERE WITNESSES….

“We will, without doubt, help our messengers and those who believe, (both)
in this world's life and on the Day when the Witnesses will stand forth” (Holy Qur’an – 40:51)

Allah says in Qur’an We were never absent at any place or time
Again, we are told that the believers have two great times of happiness

1.when the fasting person during Ramadan breaks their fast
2.when the believer appears before his Lord

The Witnesses during the month of fasting saw those who abstained from eating and drinking

The witnesses saw those who avoided vain or non-productive talking
The witnesses saw these who left their beds, gave up their sleep to perform the night prayers

The witnesses saw those who made time to read the Revelation to Prophet Muhammad (saw) The Qur’an;

The charitable acts were seen and noted by the witnesses

And insha Allah when it is needed the most – perhaps on the day of judgment when the person is being directed towards their final place - Whether it is the fire or not THEN the WITNESS will stand For you saying ….
Oh my Lord I am a witness that this person fasted for your pleasure,
Oh, my Lord I am a witness that this person spent the night in prayer to You seeking Your forgiveness
Oh my Our Lord I am a witness that this person read Your revelation daily seeking to gain understanding, guidance and knowledge from You
Oh my Lord I am a witness to the charity of this person during the blessed month of Ramadan…

EID MEANS A RECURRING EVENT OR TIME

Fitr – means to break as in the celebration of the breaking the Fast, A celebration of breaking the bad habits, A celebration of breaking the hold shaitan had on us.
Fitr also means Nature. Eid Ul Fitr is A celebration of the natural pattern for the human being first seen in Prophet Adam and seen in its totality in Prophet Muhammad.

Dear believers let us keep Ramadan with us.
If the actions we were prescribed to follow during Ramadan were good enough to lock the Satan in chains then do not let him out. Keep shaitan locked away from you and keep seeking Allah’s Guidance, keep reading Qur’an.

Let us keep seeking The Mercy of Allah. Let us keep seeking to improve our lives in the quest to be our best self, a decent human being.

Dear Muslims - do not go backward. After gaining the moral high ground, do not give an inch to shaitan. Do not throw away this special blessing from Allah.

An excellent way of perceiving Ramadan is by starting at the end. At the end of Ramadan, we celebrate Eid Ul Fitr or the original pattern for human beings established by Allah in His creation, in Adam. If we work backward from that, if we look at what eleven months has down to distract, confuse, blur and seduce the human being from the human model, then we will see the function of Ramadan. So powerful is Allah that no matter what eleven months have done to pull us away from the correct conduct, in one month, in one special month, Ramadan – Allah can bring us back to basics. So powerful is Allah that after eleven months of being assaulted by the enemy of our best expressions, our best pursuits, that in one month, in one special month, Ramadan, Allah can reverse the affect and bring us back to a moral foundation.
In Qur’an Allah Says, there is a night in the last ten nights of Ramadan that is better than a thousand months. That is eighty-three years, or another way of seeing it, this is a lifetime. A night spent seeking the guidance of Allah with no other niyyah than what the Prophet had. Seeking guidance from Allah that aids man in being a service to humanity. He who is the most useful to humanity is the best among you. So a night, a single night spent sincerely seeking from Allah His guidance that will facilitate fulfilling the purpose of human existence is better than a lifetime spent in other pursuits.

Ramadan has given us the foundation from which we can grow. The foundation, which can launch us towards the model life of Muhammad, the prophet. It is from Ramadan that we can move through the (7)heavens. Eid ul Adha the Big Eid is seventy days from Eid ul Fitr.

Praise be to Allah who has guided us to the ways that we follow- praise be to Allah for His prophets, Messengers and Guides – and for this Day of Eid. Amen

RAMADAN! A SIGN OF THE MERCY OF ALLAH

2009-03-04T21:31:00.019-06:00

With Allah’s Name. The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer. We seek His Guidance in all matters and Thank Him for Prophet Mohammed, His Excellent Role Model for Humanity. We offer prayer and Peace be upon him.

Delivered At:
Islamic Center of Southern California
August 14, 2009

The literal meaning of the word RAHIM is "womb". It is derived from the root RAHIMA which means to have mercy on. Two of Allah's names - AR-RAHMAAN AND AR-RAHEEM - are derived from the same root. Allah makes this connection explicitly in hadith qudsi when He mentions that the word rahim is derived from His name Ar-Rahman.

He is the one who wills mercy and good for all creation at all times, without any distinction between the good and the bad, the faithful and the rebel, the beloved and the hated. He pours upon all creation infinite bounties. The proof is in the Qur'an:

MY MERCY ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING (Surah A'raf 156).
The ones who know have interpreted the meaning of Rahman as the divine will toward the total good, al-iradat al-khayr, and say that Rahman, like Allah, is the proper name of the Creator, and cannot be attributed to others. Allah says:

“Say: Call upon Allah or call upon The Compassionate (AR-RAHMAN): by whatever name you call upon Him, to Him belong the most beautiful names
(Surah Isra' 17:110)

The meaning of mercy begins with a fineness of feeling and concern felt when one knows that someone is in distress. The pressure of this pain moves to help the one in distress. But the feeling of pity is not sufficient. Real compassion is when one is able to alleviate the pain and distress which the pitied one is suffering. Allah is beyond all these conditions, yet He opted for compassion rather than punishment before He ever created creation. Allah created all creation with His mercy. Everything which has come to be since the beginning is blessed with mercy.
He has created all creation, including His supreme creation, the human being, without defect and pure. He has blessed His creation with infinite bounty. In His mercy, He has shown the dangers of loss and perdition. He has given humanity and only humanity the freedom of choice between good and bad.

WHEN we error, when we sin we do not seek JUSTICE or Judgment – WE SEEK MERCY!

Human beings who have been offended are often prone to say something like I forgive but I cannot forget. That's only half of the process. When we receive the forgiveness from Allah called Gafarah – this term speaks of forgiveness that treats us as though we never committed the act. The Mercy of Allah comes to us “in Spite of” what we have done. Now that’s real Mercy. So Allahs says of Himself that He is the Most Merciful of those who show Mercy.
Abu Hurayah (Hadith) reports that the Messenger of Allah (saaws) said, Allah Most High has one hundred portions of mercy. He has sent only one portion upon the universe and divided it among all His creation. The feeling of mercy and compassion that His creatures feel among themselves is out of that share. The other ninety-nine portions he has saved for the Day of Judgment when He will bestow them upon the faithful.

Hadrat Mujahid said;Rahman belongs to the people of this world; Rahim belongs to those of the Hereafter. The ones who know pray: ya Rahman ad-dunya wa Rahim al-akhirah O Rahman of the world and Rahim of the Hereafter. Rahman is mercy upon the nafs, the worldly being. Rahim is mercy upon the heart. Rahman gives sustenance in this world. Rahim gives eternal salvation in the Hereafter.

Ramadan begins with great expectations. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam) informed us that the Satans have been chained, the Gates of Allah’s Mercy have been opened and the Gates of Hell have been closed. Many of us vowed to take advantage of this truly blessed time to regain the sweetness that we have previously known in our worship. Similarly, we vowed to reform our relationship with Allah, and to repair severed or damaged ties with our fellow Muslims.
Ramadan comes and like the days of our lives it passes through stages. Those stages are poetically mirrored by the waxing and waning of its moon. It is related that our Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam) said concerning Ramadan, "Its beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness, and its ending is liberation from the Hellfire." (Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Sahih, vol. 3, no. 191) If we take time to reflect, I’m sure that all of us will admit that we do not adequately appreciate the magnitude of Allah’s Mercy. He, the Exalted, says in His Noble Scripture, "I afflict whomsoever I please with My punishment. As for My Mercy, it encompasses everything." [7:156]
Perhaps the greatest mercy that Allah has bestowed upon humanity is sending unto us His Blessed Messenger, Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam). Allah informs us concerning His Messenger, "We have only sent you as a Mercy to All Worlds." [S. 21:107]
Allah mentions in the Qur’an, "If you help Allah’s Religion, He will help you." [XLVII: 7] Similarly, "Is the reward for good ever anything other than good." [LV: 60] Likewise, "Don’t be like those who forgot about Allah, and He caused them to forget about the best interest of their own souls." [LIX: 19] His Messenger (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "Allah will continue to help the servant as long as the servant is helping his brother." ( Muslim, al-Sahih, no. 2699; Ahmad, al-Musnad, vol. 2, no. 252, Abu Dawud, al-Sunan, no. 3643, and others.)
The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "The merciful ones will be shown mercy by the all-Merciful (Allah). Be merciful to those on Earth, Allah will be merciful to you." Hence, if our HOMES, MASJIDS, COMMUNITIES, AND OTHER SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS should reflect the compassion and mercy at the core of their functions.
THE HUSBAND AND WIFE SHOULD BE A SOURCE OF MERCY TO EACH OTHER.
Allah says in His Noble Book, "Among His Signs is that He has created for you from yourselves spouses, in order that you dwell together with them in Peace and tranquility. And HE HAS MADE BETWEEN YOU LOVE AND MERCY. Surely in this are signs for people who do reflect." [30: 21]

PARENTS SHOULD BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR CHILDREN. SIMILARLY, THE CHILDREN SHOULD BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR PARENTS.
Perhaps the greatest example of the merciful child is that of Isma’il (‘Alayhi al-Salaam). When informed by his father, Ibrahim (‘Alayhi al-Salaam), that he was to sacrifice him, he mercifully responded, "Oh, father! Do that which you have been commanded. You will find me, Insha Allah, amongst the patient." [37: 102]
WE SHOULD SIMILARLY BE A SOURCE OF MERCY TO OUR FELLOW BELIEVERS.
Our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "The similitude of the believers in their mutual love, their mutual mercy, and their mutual affection, is like a single body. If any part of it complains of an injury, the entire body responds with sleeplessness and fever." (Muttafaqun ‘Alayhi) This narration emphasizes the fact that we are a merciful people. We are a Merciful people whose mercy shouldn’t be confined to our immediate circle of associates and acquaintances. Rather it should extend to the entire Ummah.

RAMADAN - A SIGN OF THE MERCY OF ALLAH!
After 11 months of struggle with our life, Our prayers, charity, patience our Faith. In His Awesome Mercy Allah gave us a Blessed month to reflect, reform and re-dedicate ourselves to be the best we can.

Ramadan is a sign of the mercy of Allah – wherein He doubles, triples and exceeds our greatest expectation in His Mercy and Forgiveness.

Ramadan is a great sign of the Mercy of Allah, where He shuts the avenues of entry of the adversary (Shaitan) and Opens the Doors of Heaven to us.

Ramadan is a sign of the Mercy of Allah – wherein all our sins can be wiped away, all of our short comings can be forgiven and the best of our human characteristics can be supported through Fasting, Prayer and charitable acts.

1. Ramadan is a wonderful sign of the Mercy of Allah –
2. Our personal life is enhanced with seeking Allah at Fajr,
3. Our moral life is enhanced with daily abstanance from not only food and drink but from that which leads one away from the remembrance of Allah.
4. Our community life is enhanced with every Iftar,
5. Our spiritual life is enhanced with taraweeh prayer, our family life is enhanced is we set the example of one submitting to Allah who has invited “O You who believe” in Surah 2:183

THE FAST OF RAMADAN MUST BE SYSTEMIC

• OUR INTENTIONS (Niyyat) must remain focused on the fast
• OUR EYES, should abstain from breaking the fast
• EARS, should abstain from breaking the fast
• HANDS, should abstain from breaking the fast
• HEART, should abstain from breaking the fast
• FEET AND should abstain from breaking the fast and our
• MIND must should abstain from breaking the fast.

Then the fast of Ramadan will be
A COMPLETE FAST
A SYSTEMIC FAST.
A fast of the WHOLE SELF. Whose reward
Is promised in Surah 2 ayah 183 – that we may obtain Taqawah!

Ramadan Mubarak!

AN OPEN LETTER TO MUSLIMS IN BUSINESS
REGARDING RAMADAN AND THE TWO EID OBSERVANCES

By: Imam Tariq Ansaar Aquil
As I travelled across the country over the past five (5) years I have suggested to Muslims in business that they begin to advertise special sales on the occasion of the two annual Eid observances, as well as Ramadan. This would not be done to commercialize the religious observances, rather to enhance the image of positive contributions Muslims in business are making in their communities. It was pointed out that no significant cost was associated with producing signs announcing pre-Ramadan sales, or Eid product discounts. No special license is required and no laws existed to prevent such actions. The objective is to expand the thought process and introduce a bigger vision of the role that Muslims could play in the business life of their respective communities. Without stating that the owner of a business is Christian or Jewish, we see Easter discount sales in stores all across America. We also see Christmas mark down sales. The storeowners are not asking customers to join their particular religious belief, but the buyer is aware that there is a financial benefit from that particular sale. They are also aware that people of that particular religious belief are in business in their community and are contributing towards the economic development of their life. This one simple step Muslims can make towards establishing a positive presence in our local communities. The idea is based upon the obligation Muslims have to be informative in regards to clear understanding of what is Islam. Also it would increase the business visibility and most likely increase sales and it would be a public demonstration of the healthy contributions that Muslim business makes in the community.
Imam’s I hope you find merit in this suggestion and share it with those Muslim Business men and women in your respective communities.

With Allah’s Name. The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer. We seek His Guidance in all matters and Thank Him for Prophet Mohammed, His Excellent Role Model for Humanity. We offer prayer and Peace be upon him.

KHUTBAH NOTES

COME ALIVE TO ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING COMMUNITY LIFE

 Hayya ala salah [SaLaHa] Worship, service to God

 Hayya ala fallah [Falaha – Farmer – cultivation - ]

Success obtained through cultivating our life.

S. 71:17 [human being life compared to the life of plant]

1. If our life is a plant then who is the farmer?

2. Prepare the soil of your soul

3. Make it soft and submissive to the Will of Allah

4. Plant the seeds of piety, patience, etc
5. PATIENCE
6. The farmer has to have patience in the face of doubters
7. Water the spot where nothing is seen –
8. [Remember Prophet Nuh – building a boat in the middle of the desert 500
miles from the nearest water]

9. His job was only to obey Allah and build the boat – it was Allah that would
supply the water.

10. Do not be impatient – digging up the seeds because they do not produce as
fast as we desire.

11. When the little apple sapling comes up we cannot eat the little plant – it
has to be nurtured –

12. PATIENCE until it produces branches, then leaves – then buds and produces
apples.

13. WEEDS - We must protect the plant from weeds.

14. Weeds chock the life of plants – How do you know when you’re approached by a
weed

15. WEEDS Plant doubts about your ability to become productive

16. Your to old, not educated enough, not financially able

17. When the angel comes to Maryum, the Mother of Isa (as) she said how I could
have a son when no man has touched me. [The Arabic word means touch, feel,
put in contact with something or affected by something]

18. He told her kazaliki ( you have what you need, its already done)

19. After the plant has become productive, share the fruits of your harvest –
give back to those less fortunate.
20. Build balanced community life - SAFFAT –alignment – order

21. Perpendicular alignment is necessary before we can establish the horizontal
aspect

22. Align first under Tauheed – recognition that Allah is the True Source Then align what we think, speak, feel, do and establish (Head, mouth, heart, hands and feet) with that focus. The head, heart, hands, feet all aligned with one perpendicular focus that is Saffat. Once that perpendicular alignment is established then we can turn to the right and left and establish the family, community, economic, academic and social life. Then we have Horizontal life.

23. THE PERPENDICULAR BREAK DOWN of the family leads to the
break down of the community

24. The disarray in family life today is not a mystery
25. When the child does not have respect for God, then there is no respect for
the parents, teachers, employer, neighbors, and finally no respect for SELF.
26. Then we can turn to our right and left and say As Salaamu Alaikum wa
rahmatullah
27. Alaikum (On you is the responsibility to establish Salaam) it all starts
with the farmer Willing to cultivate the life utilizing the tools of Islam
in service to Allah.

*******************

Surah Ma’idah - 5:3 “This day have I Perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you and have Chosen for you Islam as your religion] Islam is Perfect (no need to waste precious time seeking to work out the bugs)

A favor Could never have been earned, is often a Gift – something freely given, often times something that was not even deserved. And it a Favor that is so comprehensive that in and of its self is that which addresses all the concerns of humanity forever. It is referred to as a Complete Favor. Human beings are endowed with Free-Will (choice) So Allah is showing us that we have the ability to make choices but Allah is showing us the best use of that ability by Saying that He has chosen for us Al-Islam as Deen.

Allah has not given us Islam to be a burden. In fact, Islam is the natural state of creation under normal conditions.

S. 2:286 “On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear”- HaMaLa
Lā [No!] Yukallifu [TASK/Assignment] Allāhu [by Allah] [on any] Nafsāan [Soul] Wa Lā Ta ĥmil [RE – SPONSI - BILITY] [ABILITY TO RESPOND]
`Alaynā 'Işrāan Kamā Ĥamaltahu `Alá Al-Ladhīna Min Qablinā Rabbanā Wa Lā Tuĥammilnā in
Allah would never place the human being in circumstances that He had not already given human beings the proper response for. Even if that response is to Whole heartedly cry out to Allah.
In Surah 3:104 "Let there arise out of you a band of people [Ummatum – Community]
(a) Inviting to ALL that is good,
(b) Enjoining what is right, and
(c) Forbidding what is wrong:
(d) They are the ones to attain felicity.

That is describing a socially conscious people. A community that is concerned with the state of their community, the condition of the people, the goods and services of their community. Muslims have to be willing to leave their comfort zone and venture out in the path of Allah to be a service to humanity.
Praise be to Allah that American has taken a giant step into recognition of the worth of all its citizens and selected a president from among a people that less than 60 years ago was not regarded as having anything of value to offer American leadership. Yet, with that great step and economic responses to the challenging economy, Allah did not say in Qur’an that the solution to humanities problems was a Stimulus package. The social and economic problems are symptoms:
The disease is refusing to Enjoin what is right, Forbid what is wrong, and Believe in Allah. The reward of those who sit at home (in their comfort zone) is not equal to those who go forth in the cause of Allah. We as Muslim cannot be satisfied that we have made it into the house of Islam and accept to just look out of our windows of our religious security at the pitiful condition of our neighbor, our communities, our schools, businesses. "Let there arise out of you “Oh Believers” those inviting to all that is good. Tayeeb
Inviting humanity to what is good for their souls, their family life, their academic life, their economic life, good for here and hereafter.
Surah 3:110
Ye are the best of peoples [Community], evolved for mankind,
(a) Enjoining what is right,
(b) Forbidding what is wrong, and
(c) Believing in Allah.

After receiving the perfect way of living(1) Allah Says: He created everything; both men and jinn for one purpose which to serve Allah.(2) Next, Allah, explains the process that has prepared each human being to fulfill the purpose of their individual and community purpose (The Evolution)

(1)Believing in Allah.
(2)Inviting to ALL that is good,
(3)Enjoining what is right, and
(4)Forbidding what is wrong:

MAN GETS IT! …. BUT HE DOES NOT GIVE IT!The word
“It” is an infinite Pronoun… Man gets what? Man gets the information embedded in the created world – but seldom gives credit to the Creator of all creation.
(1) Lord of all the worlds – Lord of all systems of knowledge
Man recognizes that he did not create steel … and if you ask man who made steel, he will answer God. Then man takes the created material of God and manufactures objects which man takes credit for as if man not God is the benefactor for man. So man gets it but seldom gives it. So out of 114 chapters of the Qur’an Allah reminds us at the beginning of 113 – Allah is the Merciful Benefactor the Merciful Redeemer for all creation.
It is not only man that has to be redeemed. The first recycling system that man observed was designed by Allah. The water that comes in contact with that which may pollute it is carried through a process of purification by Allah and is returned to its original purity – it is redeemed. The Earth, water, air are all recipients the Beneficence and Mercy of Allah.
Man understands the message in the life of the Bee and builds energy efficient homes with the hexagon shape perfected by the bees. Computer built on the known functions of the human brain’s operation, function and memory. Locomotion for the bicycle, train and piston action of the automobile extracted from the “Ball and Socket” action of the arms and legs of the human model.
MAN GETS IT! …. BUT HE DOES NOT GIVE IT!

The question is Are we among those evolved for service to humanity?
(1) In this and every community there are single Mothers struggling to raise children without the balanced imput of a male …. The question to the Muslim male in the Ummah ... Are you among those evolved for service to humanity?

(2) In this and every community there are at risk teenagers in serious need of guidance … The question to the Muslim male in the Ummah is …. Are you among those evolved for service to humanity?

(3) In this and every community there are young women seeking intelligent, employed (handsome) mates …

(4) There are Young men seeking intelligent, moral and (Beautiful) Sisters …The question to the Ummah is …. Are you among those evolved for service to humanity?

(5) There are homeless folks that are in need of a spiritual home as much as they need a physical home but who among us will share the information they need to make the change?

(6) There are hungry folks that are in need of spiritual food as much as they need physical food but whom among us are those evolved for service to humanity?

(7) Who is using their ability to support the proper education of our youth, the proper establishment of wholesome goods and services in the inner cities, safeguarding the legitimate interest of Muslims and the people of the book … are you among those evolved for service to humanity?

The Bee: Surah 16
Goes from one flower to another. It visits the red, blue, yellow and white flowers. It does not waste time digging in the dirt,It leaves the leaves behind; the Bee goes straight for the sweet stuff. It goes for the nectar. Then Allah tells us the bee does something, it takes the nature into its stomach (you say the Imams biology is confused because I am pointing to my head instead of my stomach)
Allah says the bee takes the nature into its stomach and carries it through a process that produces a substance that is a healing for humanity. SubhanAllah! Isn’t that wonderful. Imagine Bees produce honey that man and animals enjoy but Bee’s do not eat honey. They are working to help extend the life of the plants they visit and produce something for human being that they do not even eat.
But delve deeper into this Ayat. Look at its practical application to our life. We have experiences in our life that can be represented as a variety of flowers. Red flower we experienced dropping out of school. White flower we experienced being divorced, blue flower we may have experienced spousal abuse, been oppressed under a tyrannical government, lost a child or spouse. All of these different flowers or experiences but we not supposed to dig in the dirt, sling mud, We are guided to seek the lesson, the moral of the story, what has Allah stored in that experience for us as catalysis for producing an ideal, concept, company, program – Something that is going to be a healing for humanity. A Mother that was visited by the tragic loss of her (flower) child to a drunk driver did not give up and resign from life. She took the best of her experience and produced an organization called Mother Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), and today that organization acts as a healing for others who have similar experiences. A young gang member in South Central Los Angeles that experienced the loss of life of family, friends, did not stoop to dig in the dirt of hatred and retaliation, instead he formed a community organization called: Stop the violence increase the peace. He took from his flower experience that which now acts as a healing for humanity adversely affect by gang violence. Another honey healing born of the flower of adversity is Mothers without borders.

Let us resolve to demonstrate our appreciation for the Favor Allah Has done for us, let us engage the community in a structured manner as described in S. 3:104 and let us take up the role and responsibility we were prepare for evolved to and know that we have already been given all the tools we need to respond to each and every situation whether it is within our personal live, community life or the global community.

ISLAM! Building on A Solid Foundation

With The Name of Allah, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful
Redeemer. We seek His Guidance in all matters and Thank Him for Prophet Mohammed, His Excellent Role Model for Humanity. We offer prayers and ask Peace be upon him.

2:115
To Allah belong the East and the West: Whithersoever ye turn, there is the presence of Allah. For Allah is all-Pervading, all-Knowing.

2:144
We see the turning of thy face (for guidance to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction.”

2:149
From whencesoever Thou startest forth, turn Thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque; that is indeed the truth from the Lord. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.

What is the Standard you live by? When a legal argument is rejected by a Court of law sometimes it is because it is without merit. The court will say the argument does not STAND for any prevailing legal proposition. It does not have a foundation in applicable law. What is the foundation for our belief?

Adam, the Prophet, is spoken of in scripture as slipping even falling this implies that whatever happened to Adam he was no longer standing upright.

2:177
It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards East or West; BUT IT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS-
1. To believe in Allah and the Last Day,
2. The Angels,
3. The Book,
4. The Messengers;
5. To spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves;
6. To be steadfast in prayer,
7. To practice regular charity;
8. To fulfill the contracts which ye have made; To be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing.

Allah refers to the Kabba as Baiutal Awwal, (THE FIRST HOUSE)

Wonderful language, what a wonderful picture for our reflection.
A HOUSE

The image of a House represents: SAFETY, REFUGE, COMFORT, SECURITY, EXPRESSION and the REALIZATION of our hopes and aspirations (A man is king in his own home and the Woman is Queen in her home)
Allah Says to us in Qur’an that there are different types of houses
1. He mentions a house built on sand that tumbles down
2. He mentions the flimsy house called a Spiders web
What determines the stability of the house? It’s foundation!
What it is built upon. The Question today is “What is Holding up Your House.” Your house of faith. Your Islamic life house.
Let us examine the pillars that are supposed to hold our House.
Our personal Spiritual House is to be a replication or patterned after the First House. We need to know of our house is in need of repair. What about the roof, the walls of support. Or without realizing it we may have become spiritually or religiously Homeless!

The Command of Allah directing us to Turn towards the First House establishes a logic consistent with the nature and ability of the human being to align ourselves with. Our house is established or upheld by the "Five Pillars of Islam”

2009-02-11T23:43:00.003-06:00

BY THE TOKEN OF TIME!

With Allah’s Name. The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer. We seek His Guidance in all matters and Thank Him for Prophet Mohammed, His Excellent Role Model for Humanity. We offer prayer and Peace be upon him.

There is every indication in the social and personal behavior of the human being today that contact has been lost between the Sure Truth and ourselves. The purpose for which we exist has become lost in our relentless pursuit of the trivial and mundane. All too often, it is while in the grip of death or some devastating disease that we become un-deceived and aware that we have wasted the time of our life on that which was never important I regard to the salvation of our souls. Surah Asr, is not a scare tactic, it is an opportunity to reflect, to get our perspective on life and gage our relationship to what is important and what we have given ourselves over to in life and that we have been on Earth. Allah gives us this wonderful freeze frame of life, when He says. “Wal Asr innal insanna Lafi Khusr”. By the token of time as it passes. With regard to the Time, “Verily! Man is in loss”. (Qur’an 103:1-3) As time passes and we look back and try to match our efforts with our acquisitions, we can see that we have little to show for the time and effort spent in many of those pursuits. Allah gives us back our focus in life. He has already told us that we as well as everything else (both jinn and men) are created for the sole purpose of worshipping Allah. Surely our prayers and sacrifices our life and our death is all for Allah. That is one of the prayers we pray. That is also a reminder that our creation is for the service of Allah, noting else will bring us success, and nothing else will survive over time.
The only ones that have something to show for their efforts are those who have believed the revelation of Allah and who have enjoined for themselves and with others deeds rooted in the revelation of Allah and who have practiced patience and perseverance. The Arabic word “Asr” carries the concept of Aseerah in its meaning. Aseerah is the juice obtained by squeezing the fruit. There is a relationship between the results of our life’s efforts and the end product of the fruit tree. What we have put into our life is what we will get out of it. What we have done when opportunities came our way.
What we have done when adversity came our way. What we have done when the pressure was on, all of these things are carried into the final stages of our life and weighed for their value in light of what Allah Created the human being for. The juice of the fruit is obtained by squeezing the fruit. That is how we get the juice, by applying pressure to the fruit. That is the function of Asr, of Time. Allah says in Qur’an that He brings a variety of times (conditions) to men in turns. It is to see how we will handle the up’s and down’s. The good times (to us) and the bad times (to us). This movement of time, of circumstances actually applies pressure to the human being and squeezes us. What comes out of us under these circumstances determines if we give sweet nectar or prove to be a dried fruit, a waste of time and effort. It is common- place today to hear people speak of being under stress or to be suffering from stress. Another word for stress is “pressure”. What we are describing is the affects of the circumstances that we are experiencing. Those circumstances are responded to be based upon whether we are one of those who believe, those who do what is good. Whether we are of those that seek out and enjoin what is right with other like-minded people with the understanding that all we do must be based upon Truth and will certainly bear in time if we are patient. When the pressure of life squeezes some people, a bitter juice comes out. Others when squeezed yield positive experiences, life enhancing wisdom, sweet nectar. What eventually becomes the juice of the fruit tree starts as clean, clear water. It starts at the roots of the little tree. It is with the tree through every stage of its growth and development. It experiences the monsoon and the drought. It is present in the periods of light rain. The juice carries in itself the nutrients as well as any pollutants drawn from the soil from which the tree is feeding itself.
The juice travels the full length of the tree and deposits the essence of its travel in the fruit of that tree, and when squeezed yields the sum total of its experiences as the juice. If there has been a drought of water in the trees lifetime there will be little or no juice available when the fruit is squeezed. If the tree has drawn upon polluted water, the juice will not be fit to drink. It may be discolored or have an offensive odor. Sometimes after squeezing the fruit of the tree, we realize that the life that tree was really a total loss in respect to the essence of its productivity, its juice. On the other hand if the tree has been well watered with clean, good water. If the tree’s roots have worked together, to pull the nutrients from the soil that helped the tree proper growth and development then we see a good yield of juice with sweet and beautiful juice. A riddle is attributed to the great professor Albert Einstein. It is reported that upon his death he had a blackboard upon which was written an equation. The equation is said to be a riddle asking this question: What happens when that which cannot be stopped meets with that which cannot be moved. I do not know whether this report is factual but it highlights an aspect of verse three of Surah Asr. We know that which cannot be stopped by us is Time. That which cannot be moved is The Word of God. The answer to the riddle, if indeed a riddle it was, is when that which cannot be stopped (Time) meets that which cannot be moved (God’s Word) we have the fulfillment of the Command of Allah, we have the fulfillment of prophecy, the Sure Truth. We have the profit and the loss report on our lives. Often times we see people that have suddenly gotten a glimpse of where they are in respect to their lifetime, we see them suddenly start to be more charitable. They suddenly want to help the poor, the homeless, the sick. There has been recognition of the fact that they are caught up in that which cannot be stopped. Time! They can see they are approaching that which cannot be moved, Death! They realize that they have been carrying two bags, one for good deeds and one for bad deeds and they become sized with the fear that their bag of good deeds is very light. Some nearly go into early cardiac arrest when they realize that their bag of bad deeds is almost too heavy to lift and they cannot seem to find the bag for their good deeds. In the Qur’an translation, Wal Asr was related, “By the Token of Time through the ages”. I found it interesting that the concept of “token” was connected to Time. A token is nowadays used as a medium of exchange, as money.
It is a symbol that can be made to be equal to any amount of money. Its value is not fixed. So to is the time of our lives. We spend our token, our time and in exchange, we get the value of what we spent our life- time upon. That value is not set it is not a fixed quantity. Some people live a comparatively short period and accomplish much, while others live a long and un-productive period of time. In Surah Asr, Allah gives us something to reflect upon in regard to loss prevention. All of the time spent in Universities, in business, in pleasures will in the end count as nothing as a loss, unless certain conditions are met.
Even the things that we count as good deeds, as positive actions, if they do not fit the criteria in verse three of Surah Asr, they will bring us loss. All will be in the loss column except the ones whose actions were based upon their sincere belief in Allah. With that belief as the basis of their niyyah, they must have performed not only good deeds but must have performed deeds good or well. They must have moved from the lone ranger personality and grown into the social human being. Seeking to interact positively with like- minded believers with the same intention. They must also have their eyes on the prize. They would have accepted that this time and its squeezing upon them is from Allah and that when He Wills they will be called upon to give an accounting of their life before Him. However, until that time they have accepted to work patiently, constantly and to encourage others to do likewise. By the passing of time, that which is hidden in the womb of Mothers becomes known. By the passing of time, that beautiful face acquires wrinkles and the external beauty fades. By the passing of time, the stumbling infant learns to run. By the passing of time, with opportunity, man’s life is placed in his own hands. By the passing of time, we earn our final destination. So dear people, as the pressure of life circumstances squeezes us, what type of juice will we produce. Will we be dry and without juice? Will we reveal the best of what we have been through in life, or will there be bitterness in the juice of our lives? As time passes, we have the opportunity to enter the perimeter of those who will not be at loss. Those who will not be found wanting for as we look back over time we will see that most men’s life have ended in the loss column although with the gift of time they could have made it otherwise. All praise is due to Allah, Who has blessed us in our humble effort. It is my sincere desire that this book benefits the readers.
This is “For Those Who Reflect”, who contemplates the signs of Allah and seeks only that which will be well pleasing to Allah. Whatever benefit is herein the Praise goes to Allah, any errors are mine, and for them I ask the forgiveness of Allah.

Prophet Abraham's Sacrifice, The Hajj and Decoding Scriptual Language

2008-11-30T14:04:00.010-06:00

With The Name of Allah, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer. We seek His Guidance in all matters and Thank Him for Prophet Mohammed, His Excellent Role Model for Humanity. We offer prayers and ask Peace be upon him.

When we think about the Eid that comes on the 10th day of the month of Zul-Hajj we are looking at the movement where Prophet Muhammad (saw) left the idol worshiping that was prevalent in Mecca and moved to establish the pure worship of God in Medinah.He then returned victorious to Mecca where Islam was established for all time. We are also looking back into time at the movement of Prophet Abraham. The movement he established for thinking in rational terms about the Creator and His Creation. On average over 2.5 million Muslims attend the Hajj in Mecca, as an answer to Prophet Abraham’s prayer. "O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House; in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits: so that they may give thanks. (Surah 14:37)

In the etymology of the word SACRAFICE are the two Latin words SACER and FACER. SACER – means Sacred, Holy. FACER means to make. As in to make acceptable to the One, that is The Holy One. Taken, as a concept Sacrifice originally meant Make acceptable to God.

The concept is a paradigm shift from taking something external and giving it as an expiation for sins or errors. The shift requires us to look not at others but within ourselves. The challenge is to make ones conduct and character acceptable to G-d. To be a living sacrifice, an actual model of Taqwa that is demonstrated in every aspect of our social and personal life.

It is easy to give someone something and feel very good about ourselves and say we have made a sacrifice. We may deprive ourself of something and say well that is the sacrifice. However, the original concept alerts us to the fact that this is not an external hollow act of atonement. This is a serious personal perpendicular alignment that will make us Saffat. This Sacrifice requires that we first be aligned under Tauheed. Our thinking must first operate under the Qur’an as our matrix. What we think is aligned with our outlook, (Eyes) which is aligned with our expressions,(Mouth) which is aligned with our good sentiments (Heart) which are aligned with our actions (Hands) which are aligned with our(Legs) movement or direction; then we will be strong in repelling evil. Before there is horizontal establishment in society there must first be perpendicular Alignment under G-d. It was the intellect of Prophet Abraham that challenged the establishment, the existing social order and their hoarding knowledge. It was his rational mind and using deductive reasoning and logic which was supported by the natural order of the creation that is what helped him to conclude that the Source of knowledge was free and the derivative knowledge should be freely accessible to all people. According to the Scripture the animal that is to be sacrificed, first has to be without defect. The animal has to be free of disease. This information says to the mind that whatever you are offering to G-d must be your best; it must be clean and not corrupt. Next we have to divide the sacrificial meat into Three sections for service. The Sacrifice is designed to benefit the family life. It is designed to assist the less fortunate and for the broader community life. Then the sacrifice does something that we would not expect it becomes that which we consume. We eat the sacrifice; we use it to fuel our life. The life of the family, the struggling among us and the community’s hopes and aspirations. This is a wonderful Sacrifice that evolves for those who are Saffat. All of this is tied to the Hajj. The macrocosmic Hajj and the Microcosmic Hajj. When Allah Says to us in Qur’an, “By those who range themselves in ranks, Those who so are strong in repelling evil, Those who thus proclaim the message of Allah! Verily, verily your God is One! [Surah Saffat -37:1-4] This Surah speaks of the character of those in this community. It speaks of their core. If we line up crooked people, no matter how straight the line they will still be crooked, they will not be effective in repelling their criminal conduct or its affects. So we know this alignment is not just a physical, external or cosmetic show of alignment. This is an alignment that starts in the microcosmic aspects of the human being and then we see its expression in that Great macrocosmic expression called the Hajj.

Decoding Scriptural Language:

Imagine a person living 3,000 or even 4,000 years ago wrestling with ways and means to share with later generations some special knowledge he has been favored with. He believes that through inspiration, he has been blessed with something of value for humanity but his experience also alerts him to the possibility that he will not be able to adequately provide this knowledge to his contemporaries. So he seeks what would be like a “Message in a Bottle” that can be cast onto the ocean of time in the hope that it will be found later by those that can benefit from the message. But he has to make sure that the message is in a form that can stand the test of the change. So he has to identify letters that can form an alphabet. From that he can form words and with those words share the message. This is serious work. The men and women that G-d inspired were not playing with their time or the message this was serious work for them. What is the alphabet? What could comprise a universal alphabet? Without knowing what language or dialect people will speak in the future, how do you make sure that whether those future folk are well educated or bi-lingual, how can you insure they will still get the message. You look for that which is constant, you look for universals. Universal images or picture words. You look for what G-d established in the environment in nature that will endur. You look for that which is constant. He knows the Sun, Moon, Stars, mountains, rivers, wind, water, all of these are constants. Their various stages are predictable. Water when heated will produce an invisible vapor, when frozen will make ice. So those wise people formed picture words from the natural surrounding of those universal constants and engaged in a conversation that transcends time.

They conveyed their message utilizing the vocabulary of nature and upon that landscape sent their message through time. So-called modern man then has the task of first understanding that G-d has prepared, provided, and preserved His guidance for humanity. Then man must discerns the Universal aspect of G-d’s revelation and seek to decipher the message so it can be not only appreciated but also applied in the present time. Thus man discovers the natural language in picture form as the vehicle for preserving the message. Then with an adult mind, the man unravels the guidance for his contemporary world. He cannot get the real benefit if he reverts to or relies solely upon the period of the conveyer of the message. To perform this monumental task G-d has blessed the contemporary time with the Decoder Extraordinaire
Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, I am one of his students.

We must probe beyond the pistons of motivation, past the seat of locomotion until we arrive at the spring of desire whose home is Soul satisfaction in pleasing its Creator.

They Ask for Miracles - Khutbah Notes

2008-10-26T13:39:00.005-06:00

With The Name of Allah, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer. We seek His Guidance in all matters and Thank Him for Prophet Mohammed, His Excellent Role Model for Humanity. We offer prayers and ask Peace be upon him.

Imam Tariq Ansaar Aquil
October 24, 2008

Miracles are demand from the prophets by the disbelievers. Yet when Allah sends a Prophet or Messenger to a people, it is because they have need of correction, guidance or warning. Most likely, they have strayed and are in danger of the wrath of Allah coming against them. They are in fact, in a situation that is much like a person sitting in the hospital waiting room, in need of some medical help by a doctor. However, unlike a physically sick person those who are sin sick began to ask the doctor to perform some medical miracle before I let you heal me. Make some ones cancer disappear, make some ones height increase, then, I will let you operate on me. Because their eyes are fixed upon the recipient of the revelation they say show us a record of accomplishment. If only they fixed their eyes upon Allah, The source of the revelation that is coming to the Prophet. Then the Miracles would be evident. We laugh at something like this, it sounds ridiculous to us that a sick person would be standing in the emergency medical ward demanding that the doctor perform some medical miracle, give them some sign before they will consent to be healed. This is just what the people of the past did and as Allah Says in the Qur’an, it continues to this day and time. Oh Mohammed, show us a miracle! They did not say that they would never believe the message brought by the Prophet; they did not say that what he was saying could not be true, they wanted to be shown something that would convince them that he was really a prophet and that his message was really from God. But walk into a hospital with a sick person, walk to the emergency ward and see a person standing there treating patients, with his stethoscope around his neck and wearing his white uniform, is it your first action to ask him if he is a real doctor? Is it your action to demand that this person show you some miracle? Why not? Because some things are obvious, the plastic gloves, the white uniform, the stethoscope are all signs that this is a doctor. While the people are asking the prophet for a miracle, signs that God spoke to him, were all around them and us today. Timeless signs of the Miracles. Surah 2:118, “Say those without knowledge: Why speaketh not Allah unto us? Or why cometh not to us a sign? So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike". Perhaps when we are confronted by those who disbelieve we do not know what to say to them, so in the Qur’an Allah gave us the right words to say. In Surah 3:20 the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is told in revelation “So if they dispute with thee say: I have submitted my whole self to Allah and so have those who follow me.” Many today exhibit the same signs as those of the past in that they say in words and deeds; convince me to give my whole self in submission to Allah. Trying to hold back some portion of their plans, their will or ability to choose to willingly, submit to Allah. Trying to maintain some control over the major events in their lives. Man wants to be in the driver’s seat no matter how bad a driving record he may have, although we may have made a wreck of our lives and the lives of those close to us. So in an effort to put forward an argument people today say the same things those of old said, show us a sign, show us a miracle, then we will submit ourselves fully to this way of life that you have told us about, this Islam. What the human being seem to love is to be the boss, to be in charge, in control. To do what we want to do, when we want to. Surah 3:92 “By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give (freely) of that which ye love.” The Muslims has submitted his will to the Will of Allah. The Muslim has not held back anything from being touched by the dictates of Allah in this religion of Al Islam. The nature of religion is faith and the nature of faith is sincerity. As we repeat the Shahaddah in our salat, we say we do not worship anyone besides Allah. We do not hold worthy of our sincere devotion anyone other than the Lord of the Worlds. In that same salah, while sitting as though in a contemplative position we say, “all services rendered by words and bodily action are do to Allah. We say our prayers and our sacrifices our life and our death is all for Allah the Lord of all the Worlds. In simple language, we say we hold nothing back from Allah. We open all of ourselves to the corrective and curative power of the revealed word of Allah in this Qur’an. Throughout the Qur’an, Allah reminds the human being that this is no piecemeal arrangement. Often the people of the past as well as today want to set one standard for themselves and another for Allah. We want to give a little and yet demand a lot from Allah. Show us a miracle say those who have no sight. Proof that a person has been blind is to be able to show them something that is right before their eyes and they never saw it before you showed it to them. None can make the blind to see except Allah and none can make the deaf to hear unless it be the will of Allah.
The believers say of the revelation “We hear and we obey”. None despairs of the Mercy of Allah except those already doomed to destruction.
The Qur’an is full of Miracles. The first revelation that came to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) should have been sufficient for the doubters. Read! In the name of your Lord Who created man from a clot of congealed blood. The birth of a child even today is regarded as a miracle. Allah Says He created everything from water. Imagine looking at all that we can see and being reminded that no matter how big, how small, what color, species of level of intelligence, all creation has come from water. Some of the creation floats on water some are so heavy they quickly sink below the water. Some of the creation lives far from the water and needs very little water to survive, while other creatures cannot survive without the water constantly around them. This is a Miracle! Then there is man created from a microscopic sperm drop, which progresses to the next stage and becomes a clot and then a fetus. After birth, we see the miracle of sight, speech, hearing, movement and thought, all from this form that started as a drop of sperm is not this a Miracle? Above the Earth Allah Says He Has suspended planets in space swimming along in their own orbits. No pillars, no ropes, no visible supports holding these giant planets and stars up in space, is that not a miracle! A visit to the desert with all its barren appearance then comes the rain and all this land that was dead splits open and seeds that lay dead below the surface spring to life. Is this not a miracle? The fact that from infancy the human being innately knows what is right from what is wrong and has built in sense of shame for conduct that is unbecoming human dignity, all these are in deed Miracles! It no wonder that the unbelievers are called blind, deaf and dumb, with all these Miracles in and around them they still call for more. So the Word of Allah is proven true against them when He says, none can make the deaf hear or the blind see, unless it be the Will of Allah. Asking for a Miracle is asking for proof. Allah Has assigned belief to the human being; He has not assigned being All Knowing to the human being. Yet, Allah Has supported the human beings inclination to believe in an All Powerful and All Knowing Creator.
A Creator that is a Benefactor to the human being as well as a source of Mercy, Allah Has done this with all of the signs inside and outside of man. So man shows ingratitude when he looks in the mirror with eyes that see and perceives it is his own self- image in that mirror and still ask for a Miracle! In our very own lives, we have experienced Miracles. It is truly a Miracle that after all the gross materialism projected in the world today, that we have been blessed to seek with strong inclination the worship of Allah. For a number of us we know it is a Miracle that we made it this long in life and double Miracle that we have been blessed to find the sanity and salvation of Al Islam.
For many they need look no further for a Miracle than the fact they have the strong desire to live decent upright lives. In conclusion, I find that one of the greatest Miracles can be found in the personage of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). I have seen men with strong desires to have improvement come to their community, to their families and themselves, I have seen them try to stay focused, to stay strong in the face of opposition and to produce tangible evidence of their commitment. They faltered, they were worn down over time and some were unmasked as wolves in sheep clothing. Some of them were paid high salaries in the hope of keeping them above temptation. None escaped the pull of materialism, of their own personal short -comings. So it became apparent at least to me that the whole of humanity could gather all their wealth, all their power, all their objects which man hoard and they still would not be able to persuade a man to live the life that Prophet Mohammed lived. We could not pay a man today to be as honest, as caring, as concerned about his relationship with God that he never failed to live up to the task of delivering the revelation from Allah without interjecting his own self into it. We could not hire anyone to be as balanced in his conduct as the Prophet. We could not supply anyone with enough material things that he would not ultimately be tempted. We know as a fact that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was above suspicion, above reproach, honest, sincere and yet human in every respect. It is a Miracle in itself that a man the like which the whole of humanity could not produce today, lived and we have his Sunnah for our emulation.
Praise be to Allah the Lord of all the Worlds for the Miracle of the Qur’an, The Miracle of the Living model for humanity, Muhammad the Prophet (pbuh).

EID UL FITR - Khutbah Notes

2008-10-08T19:46:00.002-06:00

With Allah’s Name
The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer
October 1, 2008
EID UL FITR

We are obligated to acknowledge that Allah is God Alone. That He does not have any partners that share in His ruler-ship of the creation. That He has no equal and that He is Unique. We also acknowledge that through His Mercy Allah has sent numerous Prophets, Messengers and Warner’s to humanity from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad, the seal of the Prophets. [Peace be upon them all]

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallahu, Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wa lillahil Hamd."

Although the fasting of Ramadan is done personally and privately
THERE WERE WITNESSES….

“We will, without doubt, help our messengers and those who believe, (both)
in this world's life and on the Day when the Witnesses will stand forth” (Holy Qur’an – 40:51)

Allah says in Qur’an We were never absent at any place or time
Again, we are told that the believers have two great times of happiness

1.when the fasting person during Ramadan breaks their fast
2.when the believer appears before his Lord

The Witnesses during the month of fasting saw those who abstained from eating and drinking

The witnesses saw those who avoided vain or non-productive talking
The witnesses saw these who left their beds, gave up their sleep to perform the night prayers

The witnesses saw those who made time to read the Revelation to Prophet Muhammad (saw) The Qur’an;

The charitable acts were seen and noted by the witnesses

And insha Allah when it is needed the most – perhaps on the day of judgment when the person is being directed towards their final place - Whether it is the fire or not THEN the WITNESS will stand For you saying ….
Oh my Lord I am a witness that this person fasted for your pleasure,
Oh, my Lord I am a witness that this person spent the night in prayer to You seeking Your forgiveness
Oh my Our Lord I am a witness that this person read Your revelation daily seeking to gain understanding, guidance and knowledge from You
Oh my Lord I am a witness to the charity of this person during the blessed month of Ramadan…

EID MEANS A RECURRING EVENT OR TIME

Fitr – means to break as in the celebration of the breaking the Fast, A celebration of breaking the bad habits, A celebration of breaking the hold shaitan had on us.
Fitr also means Nature. Eid Ul Fitr is A celebration of the natural pattern for the human being first seen in Prophet Adam and seen in its totality in Prophet Muhammad.

Dear believers let us keep Ramadan with us.
If the actions we were prescribed to follow during Ramadan were good enough to lock the Satan in chains then do not let him out. Keep shaitan locked away from you and keep seeking Allah’s Guidance, keep reading Qur’an.

Let us keep seeking The Mercy of Allah. Let us keep seeking to improve our lives in the quest to be our best self, a decent human being.

Dear Muslims - do not go backward. After gaining the moral high ground, do not give an inch to shaitan. Do not throw away this special blessing from Allah.

An excellent way of perceiving Ramadan is by starting at the end. At the end of Ramadan, we celebrate Eid Ul Fitr or the original pattern for human beings established by Allah in His creation, in Adam. If we work backward from that, if we look at what eleven months has down to distract, confuse, blur and seduce the human being from the human model, then we will see the function of Ramadan. So powerful is Allah that no matter what eleven months have done to pull us away from the correct conduct, in one month, in one special month, Ramadan – Allah can bring us back to basics. So powerful is Allah that after eleven months of being assaulted by the enemy of our best expressions, our best pursuits, that in one month, in one special month, Ramadan, Allah can reverse the affect and bring us back to a moral foundation.
In Qur’an Allah Says, there is a night in the last ten nights of Ramadan that is better than a thousand months. That is eighty-three years, or another way of seeing it, this is a lifetime. A night spent seeking the guidance of Allah with no other niyyah than what the Prophet had. Seeking guidance from Allah that aids man in being a service to humanity. He who is the most useful to humanity is the best among you. So a night, a single night spent sincerely seeking from Allah His guidance that will facilitate fulfilling the purpose of human existence is better than a lifetime spent in other pursuits.

Ramadan has given us the foundation from which we can grow. The foundation, which can launch us towards the model life of Muhammad, the prophet. It is from Ramadan that we can move through the (7)heavens. Eid ul Adha the Big Eid is seventy days from Eid ul Fitr.

Praise be to Allah who has guided us to the ways that we follow- praise be to Allah for His prophets, Messengers and Guides – and for this Day of Eid. Amen

KHUTBAH - The Glorious Morning Light

2008-09-28T21:25:00.002-06:00

In the year 570 C.E. Mohammed Ibn Abdullah was born to Aminah and Abdullah in the city of Mecca, member of the Quraish tribe. A few months after becoming pregnant, Aminah lost her husband, Abdullah, leaving her as a single parent. When Mohammed reached the age of seven, Aminah passed away leaving Mohammed in the care of his uncle, who died a few years later. At the age of 23 Mohammed married a wealthy business- woman, by the name of Khadija.[pbuh] They had two sons, both of whom died in their infancy. Later Mohammed would have four daughters and another son, but that son would also die. With all the hardship and tragedy that may have come into our personal lives today few, if any of us can compare with the events that beset Prophet Mohammed in his family life. At the age of forty Allah began the revelation of the Qur’an to Mohammed and his mission as a prophet of Allah started.

In the Qur’an Allah refers to Prophet Mohammed as an excellent model for humanity. Looking at the losses in his life. Seeing a man that never had a father in his life, raised by a single parent and then the loss of her. For eleven years Prophet Mohammed taught one basic theme, “There is no God but Allah”. The revelations came to him almost constantly and then they stopped. The enemies of Islam began to say that he had been making up the verse that he recited and now he had run out. The rumors spread that perhaps God had abandoned him and doubt began to appear among some people that maybe he was not the messenger of God. Then Allah revealed Surah Dhuha, or The Glorious Morning Light.

1. By the glorious morning light
2. And by the night when it is still-
3. Thy Guardian – Lord Hath not abandoned thee, nor is He displeased.
4. And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present.
5. And soon will thy Guardian – Lord give that wherewith, thou shalt be well pleased.
6. Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter and care?
7. And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.
8. And He found thee in need, and made thee independent
9. Therefore, treat not the orphan with harshness.
10. Nor repulse him who asks.
11. But the bounty of thy Lord, rehearse and proclaim.

The contrast here is in the day and the brightness of the rising sun after a dark period of night and all that comes with the absence of light. The emphasis is on the period when no revelation came to the prophet and it seemed dark to those around him. It seemed that maybe the revelation was over, finished, dead. Allah is showing them, yes, it seems dark when the light of revelation paused but do not despair, the sunlight of revelation will come again just as surely as the Sun will rise after the darkness of the night.
The revelation that came to Prophet Mohammed was among other things, sure guidance that produced certainty that he was on the right path. It validated his mission and gave purpose and a goal to the young followers of Al-Islam. It was a confirmation of their new way of life. But when it stopped, wonder and uncertainty set in. Remember Allah Has said that Mohammed is a model for us, what happened to him and his early followers is a type if model or example of the things that are common to the life of us all. Mohammed did not live a supernatural life that is foreign to the common mans’ life. It would have no validity for us if this life was not typical. But his life was typical and the things that happened to him and the way that he handled those things was the Model for us today.
There are times in life when things seem to stop working like before. Things that used to make us feel like we are “The Man” or “The Woman” no longer seem to work. When the easy things that we used to get away with, everyone seems to be up on them now.
There are times in our lives when the things that brought us fame, prestige and notoriety no longer do so, and we begin to fee quite ordinary. At those times the people around us may start to ask, has he lost it? Has he lost his touch for making money, setting up businesses, making people happy, getting things done? Was he just all talk? Did he ever really have it? Maybe it was just luck that has now turned to bad luck. Surah 93:1, invites us to say, by The Glorious Morning Light that will surely come after this darkness, I’ll be alright. Surah 93:2. Tell them, tell yourself, it may be still and quiet now, it may seem like I am at rest and nothing is happening in my life, but I’ll be alright when the morning comes. Surah 93:4, is saying, tell them and yourself, in a minute, not very much longer, (thereafter) the good times, the progress, the success is going to resume.
If you come across a person that is not familiar with the human biology they will make the same mistake. It’s like the heart beat. The right ventricle fills up with blood, then it pauses and passed the blood to the left ventricle and it pauses then the heart muscle pumps that supply of blood to the rest of the body. But a person that is not familiar with that process of life would take a listening device and hear the heart beat then it would be silent there would be the pause. If they acted to hasty, if they did not have faith that all this marvelous machinery called the human body would not have been made by Allah for heartbeat and then to cease. If they could not wait through that brief night for the morning, they would declare that the person was dead. Oh! My goodness the heart has stopped and the man is dead. Knowledgeable people standing around would start to laugh and say no! Silly person, just have patience for a second, not a minute not an hour, just a second and the heart beat will resume, this is not death, it’s just a pause. God Has not abandoned us. Dear Muslims, although times maybe hard and the situation may seem like it’s been night forever, Allah Has not abandoned us and He is not angry with us to deprive us of His Mercy. If that were so we would not be here having this opportunity to submit our wills and serve Him. Even if you do not hear anything beating, nothing seems to be coming to you of benefit, trust in the promise of Your Lord and my Lord, He Has abandoned us and He is not angry with us, this is just a pause in the life and what comes after this experience is promised to be better than what we have right now, if we trust in Allah.

I have seen a person laying so still that people around then became alarmed and thought perhaps they were dead. They were not moving, not speaking, so those around them may have thought they were paralyzed, dead, finished. But when we know that they were just sleeping then we are assured that they will move again, they will speak again, we just have to wait for them to get up in the morning. Just think back to Surah 93:6, about the orphan. Yes, Prophet Mohammed was orphaned, yes this applies to him, and yes it applies to us in this time as well. What is an orphan? It’s a person without a mother without a father. Think about this, a person is said to be mothering you when they treat you in a certain manner, called a maternal manner. When they look after certain needs in your life, like seeing that your meals are healthy, that you learn common courtesy, that you are made aware or made sensitive to others and that you learn basic family and social values as well as productivity. Now, the father figure embraces the concept of instilling leadership, discipline, strength, and sacrifice for the advancement of the common good. In light of this, have you or I been orphans in this society or not? Surah 93:7, have we not been wandering from fad to fad, from one uncertainty to another, from one false image of ourselves to another? Have we not wandered and wandered what we should be doing with our life, where we should be doing it? How to handle all the things that the world is throwing towards us today, how to handle these ever changing circumstances? And is not Surah 93:8, ever so true? Did not Allah find us in need of social, academic and economic improvement? Islam, that way of life based upon the revealed word of Almighty Allah connected with us at the point of our needs. It found us in want of an answer to the many and varied problems we have faced. In the revelation is this message, God has not abandoned you, God is not angry with you, and if you just have the faith that it takes to believe that after the darkness of tonight the sun will rise in the morning. If we just have the faith that after whatever we are facing right now as our night, that Allah says, the hereafter, right here after a brief night, our life will be better in the most important ways, better than it is right now. And if you still have any doubts then Allah directs us to reflect on what He has already done for us in our life, simply in brining us to Islam, to an opportunity to have the stability, the progress, the establishment in our life of those necessary elements for the success of the human being.
Reflect on how after so many years of wandering and wondering how Allah has brought us to a state of mind where we know what we want to do, where we want to go and can see the way to get there.
Dear Muslims, never despair of the mercy of Allah. Prophet Mohammed did not despair; his message was not for him. It was for those who follow him, both then and now. Look at our present situation as the pause between the heartbeats as the sleepily night before the wakening day, as the night before the dawn. Take courage, take heart, and trust in Allah that His word is true. Do not beat up yourself with despair and doubt, wondering if there is a curse on you or if you are under some damning punishment. It’s just the night before the day and Allah is the Lord of the Night and the Lord of the Day, so we are always in His care.
We have a role model that had no father figure in his life, then no mothers’ care. Who felt the pains of losing his children and his wife, but never became a criminal. He never turned to dope or alcohol; he did not become bitter and say the world is going to pay for all his pain that I have been put through. He is our model of conduct. The words in Surah Dhuha are a message of hope to us all. May Allah Bless us with the light of understanding and the faith to follow his noble example Prophet Mohammed, and to work patiently during dark night in the full knowledge that we will soon see the Glorious Morning Light.

2008-06-28T01:17:00.005-06:00

ODYSSEY OF LOVE

By: Tariq Ansaar Aquil

Now that I’ve found that things that I wanted in life were not really real
And the things that are lasting – the things that have value
The eye cant see you just feel

I’ve been to the healers, the wheelers and dealers
The girls that said they’d love me for life
They never changed things it happen when you came
You change the course of my life

I’ve faced indecision, exotic religions
Sorrow that few could survive
Although it pained me – somehow it trained me
Slowly it opened my eyes

Wherever life plants you
Lets it enhance you
Take root or you’ll wither away

The darker the night
The brighter the light
When you finally reach your new day

I believe true love has finally found its way into my world
And my fantasy has come true for me on this odyssey of love.

THIS OLD FLOOR

2008-01-27T20:34:00.002-06:00

THIS OLD FLOOR
–By-
Tariq Ansaar Aquil

Open the door to the room. It's empty! Does it surprise you that there is nothing there? Is it better or worse because of its lack of furnishings? Because of the bareness of its walls, its floor? Does its hard wood floor beckon you or does it repulse you for all its oldness, its reminiscence of times long past, its un-usualness with modern textures and constructions?
Are you angry because you were there when it was danced upon as a grand floor, run upon by children chasing themselves?
Look how that old floor stands alone, not even the food that once spilled from your hands has left a stain look closer there is not a trace of the foot prints that the feet of a dozen or more made as they sought the comfort of the rooms that criss-crossed and connected this grand floor.
There is dust in the corners of the room; dust that gives a thin-coated luster to the floor, yet the floor stands alone, as if the dust were a badge of its valor and not a detractor from its grandness. And yet for all of its oldness, this floor is strong and safe.
As you stand upon it there is a feeling of security radiating up through the beams that form its interconnecting planks and a sense of pride comes from knowing that years from this time this floor will stand, strong dignified and securing to those that grace it.

No one may ever raise a flag to the memory of this old floor, nor would it be beyond reasoning that this floor would go unsung for all its pleasures and delights, but for you, perhaps this floor will hold the memories of a life time, memories that are so entwined with this grand floor that its place is engraved in the annals of time.
For your mind is the bearer of those things of which eternity is made And this support, this platform, this upholder of you and all that was good and true in those times that have fled into corners covered with dust also; this floor will always be all that and more for those who knew it well!

EXTRAORDINARY GIRL

2007-12-24T23:34:00.004-06:00

Extraordinary Girl© 1980
By Tariq Ansaar Aquil

You’re not an ordinary girl
You’ve got extraordinary features
And your mind is so advanced
I could tell it at a glance

I can’t find the words to say
How you move me in your simple
Oh my God but Special way
More and more each day I find that
Through you girl
Mines an extraordinary world

Yours ain’t an ordinary life
But you seem to cope well
With all the pressure stress and strive
And through it all you find a way
To smile instead of frown
It’s an extraordinary world when you’re around

You’ve become my sunlight
Our future is oh so bright
With you life’s so worthwhile
And with all that I get your smile

I’d be lost if not for you
And the small but so important little
Simple things you do
Girl you pull me through
You were born to shine it's true
It’s an extraordinary world
Because of you

VICTORIOUS

2007-07-16T09:15:00.002-06:00

By

Tariq Ansaar Aquil

It can happen in your life before you realize
That you’ve stopped telling the truth
You’re only telling lies

Your friends don’t trust you
You can’t even trust yourself
Your in poverty you’ve squandered all your wealth

Yours is a rags to riches story but it’s in reverse
People say you're doing bad you know it’s really worse
some say its bad luck but you know luck is not involved
It’s the problem in your soul that you refuse to solve

And you’re trying to fight the feeling to surrender heart and soul
To a chemical dependency killing by remote control
Don’t give up you know in God we can all trust
You can be victorious

There’s a reason for the madness
A reason for your sadness
The problem and the answer are in you

You should worry in a hurry
Before the Author ends your story
In your heart you know what you must do

And you’re trying to fight the feeling to surrender heart and soul
To a chemical dependency killing by remote control
Don’t give up you know in God we can all trust
You can be victorious

SPEAK OUT!

2007-07-08T15:15:00.001-06:00

By

Tariq Ansaar Aquil

You’ve been betrayed at such a tender age
Confusing thoughts fill your head
Sometimes you wish that you were dead

It’s not your fault and I think you ought to be heard
just say the words - Speak Out!

No one has the right to make you fight the ones you love
Or love the ones nature never intended
It’s wrong to be touched and told to keep it secret
Speak Out – its time the secrets ended.

The shame is there’s not yours
You will survive and rise above this
The wounds will heal the scares will fad away

You can’t keep it inside it hurts your soul and you hate it
It must be freed that’s how you’ll be liberated
Remember it’s not your fault and I think you aught to be heard
So - Speak Out!

Nomad's

2007-06-22T21:51:00.002-06:00

There’s a camp fire burning in the desert night
Shadows all around – bodies on the ground
Something not right
A ragging battle went all day
A few children slipped away
The scene is so sad now those children are nothing but nomads

Trace the stars across the sky
Until you reach the building so high
hear the sound of little feet on the New York streets
It’s a game of do or die
And three thousand miles away there more children in L.A.
Each day there’s more and more from sea to shining shore there’s more nomads

Some have fled from bombed out homes
Others ran off on their own
Some from parents that preach
And teachers that don’t teach
Now the streets of life they roam
There’s no parents loving hug
Just the rush they get from drugs
And statistics out today say more are on their way to be nomads
When will our leaders learn that fire burns
Down through generations they’re destroying the nations
When will the air be clean and we have pure streams
And the connection be made between today’s children’s sorrows
And the state of our tomorrows
There’s a camp fire….

And Nothing More

2007-06-11T15:00:00.001-06:00

And Nothing More! ©1997

By:
Tariq Ansaar Aquil

I sat beside the ocean shore with just my thoughts and nothing more

Why I sat I can’t explain – I contemplated joy and pain

And then a thought of rare delight became crystal clear and gave me sight

Then it faded or so it seemed and I began to wonder if it was just a dream

A dream I dreamt along the shore – just a dream and nothing more

The Process

2007-05-29T19:47:00.002-06:00

By
Tariq Ansaar Aquil

We wrote the language to the songs their hearts sang and let them take all the fame
With Powerful words we built mansions for them – Yet most stand vacant because very few came;

We took discarded beings and taught them to dream of an existence that resembled on High – Then gave them the tools, explained all the rules, cautioned them not to follow the fools;

But they cast it aside and decided to hide in the darkness with those without care of where they will be when the final decree is fulfilled and they just stand and stare;

We reconciled heaven with Earth and made those last to be first and dispatched angles to lighten their load – showed them natural signs, illuminated their minds, gave them human guides like themselves;

But they argued and questioned and refused to engage with that which would give them success and all but a few continued to do what they’d done – see how truth manifest?

Stage after stage, degree by degree pure hearts are growing in number – built on a solid foundation a gathering Nation made up of a diverse humanity. They know the secret that has now come to light success goes to the righteous not those with the might;

As a raging fire can start from a flickering flame and a powerful storm with a single drop of rain – this process goes on again and again – The righteous must triumphant in the end!

Some How I Always Knew

2007-03-24T15:22:00.001-06:00

Somehow I always knew we'd meet and I'd fall in Love with you
We would be Lovers and Best friends through thick and thin our love would never end. I knew that in my arms you would find shelter from life's storms
And share with me love so strong and pure no doubts could endure our love would rest assured.
So many days I spent searching and wondering where were you - So many so many wonderful dreams filled up my head with no one to whisper them too
As I travelled the world I saw fantastic sights, But I saw them all by myself knowing deep down inside my life would never be right until I saw them with somebody else.
Our youthful love will defy aging though time keeps rushing by
Suspended moments of happiness linked by such awesome bliss sealed with a loving kiss
Some how I Always knew, somehow I always Knew, Somehow I always knew - We'd meet and I'd fall in Love with you!

NORMAL!

2006-12-27T22:14:00.001-06:00

N atural
0 rder
R eforming and
M aking
A ll
L ife

–By-
Tariq Ansaar Aquil

Did you think there was school or a class where patience was taught? A class where 'Tolerance, self-control, Sensitivity and Concern for other People, Places and Things is a part of Your Daily Lessons or Your Homework? Your Depression, Exhilaration, and Creative Moments - Are All Pushing You into Life's Cookie Cutter – into Mind-Sets, into spiritual, moral and academic Moulds. Shaping us in every detail into our Destiny. Shaping us into the reasons for Our Successes and our Failures. It all comes to us Through the Lessons Learned as we go Day by Day. Pushed and Pulled in and out of Shifting and Shaping Circumstances towards the Human being we are destined to be. Depression is no more of a dead-end than being a Sperm or Ovum was a dead-end. Being a School Dropout, Un-employed, Losing a loved one - These things are no more of a dead-end than being an Embryo before our birth into this World was a dead-end. These things are simply the pushing and pulling upon us as we pass through life’s Birth Canal toward our Destiny. The Comprehension of the UP’s and down's of life is to recognize this process of gradual and empiric Inclusion and Exclusion of all that we feel, think and Encounter. We have passed through many forms and stages. All we know, all we have been promised is that in the end we will be with Him Who started us off in our very beginning and we have been promised that we will see Him as He is. As we have been encouraged, "Let not your hearts be troubled"! In our moments of lowliness and seemingly dark moments remember what you’re personally feeling, thinking and experiencing, is not punishment, bad luck or chance and its NORMAL!

[Muhammad Ali & Daughter Maryum (May May) Ali-Photograph Courtsey May May Ali]

Writing On The Wall

2006-12-17T19:51:00.001-06:00

Writing On The Wall

By Tariq Ansaar Aquil

Some angels don’t fly
Some martyrs don’t die

Some dreamers, they never sleep
Some dry eyes cry;

Some folks are believers in nothing at all
Some blind men see very clearly the writing on the wall.

Sometimes there’s no time to do what we do
And if we’re not careful some lies will come true.

No man is as tall as the building he builds
No hole is as deep as a dream unfilled.

The future we’re facing was built yesterday
And in the blink of an eye this will all pass away.

Private Stock (c)1997
A collection of prose and Poems

The Black Rose

2006-12-13T18:57:00.001-06:00

THE BLACK ROSE
-By-
Tariq Ansaar Aquil

Few people have ever seen a BLACK ROSE. It is very rare and somewhat Mysterious. The BLACK ROSE is found in the hot desert and high mountain areas. It is often mistaken for other flowers because it is nearly always closed into a bud form, instead of the open appearance normally associated with Roses.
The BLACK ROSE grows in such harsh climate that it only opens its petals at night. The desert sun is so harsh on the BLACK ROSE, and the water that it needs is so scarce that it has adapted itself and learned to exist on very little water and to use its meager resources very carefully. A fortunate scientist happened upon a BLACK ROSE once. Instead of plucking the BLACK ROSE, he let it live.
He observed it over a period of time. What he learned was that once the harsh heat of the sun was no longer beating upon the petals of the BLACK ROSE, and the cool night air played upon it. The soft Petals of the BLACK ROSE opened and at last its full beauty could be seen. As it slowly unfurled its petals the scientist witnessed what caused this wonderful and mysterious flower to be so sought after and to be considered so precious. The BLACK ROSE, is one of the most Magnificent Flowers on Earth. When the morning came the scientist observed that as the sun rose and the heat began to increase the BLACK ROSE, began to close it's petals and take on the dust colored appearance that would hide it's beauty for another day. So taken was the man by the magic of the Black Rose that he began to slowly stroke the dusty looking petals of the BLACK ROSE.
To his surprise the petals began to open even in the daylight. He used his body to shield the flower from the direct Sunlight until the Sun began to decline. For many women the lifestyle in their homes, work place, and society is like the desert. The woman is treated with such harshness that her situation is very much like that of the BLACK ROSE. The woman has been forced to close herself into a tight ball with regard to her personality and true emotions.The Black Rose has been forced to exist and make herself happy with a diet of little or no real love, Support, or moral strength from outside of herself. Much like their desert counterparts, many women the world over live in a hot desert with the debilitating heat of sexist employers, condescending male co-workers and the general "why don't they stay in their place" mentality that permeates global society. The woman’s ability to survive all of this an yet present herself as model of beauty testifies to her strength and has made her still the much sought after object of males of every race and Nation. It is only at night when the harshness of society and its imposed pressures are at bay, that the woman feels free to remove her dusty armor, cast off the stern face look, and open up showing her true tenderness and beauty. At the rising of the morning light she is forced to return to being Super Mom, Chief Problem Solver or some other imaginary creature that lives to serve mans ego and has no real need for personal satisfaction. By Sun rise all her beauty and tenderness has been covered with the mask of the BLACK ROSE, in its desert habitat. But every now and then a real man (not just a male) comes along. One that has patience and the desire to understand what he sees. One that has the strength of wisdom to carefully apply tender, soothing care and he discovers the beauty of the BLACK ROSE! Even in the harsh world that we live in the woman can and will blossom in the hands of the right man. One that knows how to say the right words that stroke the petals properly and for that most fortunate man the petals will unfurl and he will have the rare opportunity to see within his life The BLACK ROSE. She will open under the worst conditions in the worst times with the right person and show the real personal beauty that she possesses. Just as we have two eyes, yet our focus is one.
And we have two ears, but hear as with one, and as we have two legs yet cannot make progress in any direction unless both legs work as one in one direction, so too must we have the esoteric and exoteric, the material and the spiritual. Balance! With that Balance we will see more BLACK ROSES, come into the light of the day.

There Is A Place

2006-12-07T16:33:00.001-06:00

THERE IS A PLACE
[A Collection of Poems and Prose]
–By-
Tariq Ansaar Aquil

THERE IS A PLACE where the only points of orientation are your center.
Up is above your head and down is under your feet. Your heart is the compass and Truth is the magnetic North upon which it is fixed.

What was relevant evaporates and around you appears to be a vast void at times
Here, all previous experiences are exposed as mere existence in comparison because this is the place where life begins.

The Journey that has brought you here is unique in that most Journeys merely change sights and sounds. This Journey has been re-creating your values, your desires your perceptions and conceptions. The Journey is organic and has been changing you from the inside outward. Once here you can no more return to your former mind set than Nicademus could re-enter his Mothers womb.

There is a parallel of sorts in the human body. In the brain is the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). No blood can pass through this area of the brain, only one substance is allowed to enter and pass through and that is sugar. Seventy-five percent of all the sugar that enters the body is taken by the brain for its use. Although the head makes up only one seventh of the total body area the brain takes the sweetest substance for itself. The Blood Brain Barrier forbids the entry of any lessor substance. This place is like the Blood Brain Barrier, but here the only thing that can travel through is Love.

THERE IS A PLACE, where the roles of many things are reversed or non-existent. Here Love is the Leader and Intellect follows. Love is the Motivator and Truth is the Activator. The searchlight of Intellect is the tool used by Love to identify, evaluate, dissect, extract and apply.

Love selects the objects and issues, then turns the searchlight of the intellect upon those issues to illuminate and perform its role.

THERE IS A PLACE where we all must become bilingual. Language here looses reference to the grosser applications and takes on loftier meanings. Here Love and Truth are Interchangeable.

THERE IS A PLACE, where there are no male or female, there is only that which identifies Truth and that which nurtures it. Husband is the function that extrudes and ferrets out the essential potential of our being and wife is all that which supports its realization.

THERE IS A PLACE, where Love is the purpose that Motivates the Journey and thereby brings into our view Truth which is the fruit of our search and leads to our personal Peace!

Loneliness is a by-product of the Journey because you travel away from what was comfortable and known. Traveling away from sources that validate the previous state of mind; traveling to a new awareness.

To eliminate loneliness one must change what brought them comfort, Happiness and joy. No easy task! The New Purpose, (The Journey) must become your constant companion.
Your joy must be each newly identifiable Truth and its ability to further fuel your Journey.

IN THIS PLACE, this knowledge must remain paramount: You are being propelled by the Creator of us all, through His Power of Love, which He Has Implanted in us as a Motivator toward Truth. This is the salvation and Liberator of our true self, (The Soul) from the decoration and tapestry of life. A tapestry that many have confused with life itself. To do anything less than this Journey is to fail to rise to our God Given potential and the reason for this present existence.

The Creator of the Universe, Created it out of Truth. By doing so, Truth to varying degrees exist in all things in this Universe.

IN THIS PLACE, we must be like the thrifty shopper, being selective in where we shop and what we buy. Some knowledge is full of nutrients, some is simply fattening allowing us to appear wise in Intellect, yet being without: muscle or bone.

Some knowledge is like junk food having no real nutritional value, being unable to feed our appetite for truth or quench our thirst for Love. The purest sustenance I know of to dine on is the Word of God.

No matter how much further you feel you have to travel on this path in this place, at some point in time as you reach up you must reach out to others who are seeking what you now know resides IN THIS PLACE!

Share what is manageable for them from what you have received, have no fear of excess. Like water filling a glass, when they are full the rest will simply run off, one can only receive and retain what is relevant to where they are in their personal Journey. But, by sharing you are compelled to conceptualize, actualize and vocalize, what have only been feelings and swirling trains of thought. In helping others you too are helped, a Truth on Earth and in Heaven.