Project 365

If you desire Allah to be persistent in granting you the thing you love, be persistent in doing the things He loves.

– Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal

Whatever pearl you seek,
look for the pearl within the pearl!

— Jalal ad-Din Rumi

Nowadays the world is becoming increasingly materialistic, and mankind is reaching toward the very zenith of external progress, driven by an insatiable desire for power and vast possessions. Yet by this vain striving for perfection in a world where everything is relative, they wander even further away from inward peace and happiness of the mind.

— Dalai Lama

All day I think about it, then at night I say it.
Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing?
I have no idea.
My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that,
and I intend to end up there.

— Jalal ad-Din Rumi

…then bring me there.

Your spouse is a gift of Allah to you. And to be ungrateful to a gift is to be ungrateful to Allah ‘Azza wa jal.

Your parents are a gift of Allah to you. So if you don’t have a good relationship with them, who are you actually be ungrateful to?

— Nouman Ali Khan

MasyaAllah. Yet another slap to the reality by one of my most favorite speakers. I was searching for some Islamic-related talk on YouTube about forgiving (remember, vulnerability?) and ended up listening to his lecture about Time, Love, Praise and Encouragement in Relationships. The lecture is filled with simple reminders on how to raise a kid and be a good parent and spouse.

But THAT quote really made me sick of myself. I’ve never felt so upset about myself.

Thank you ya Allah for the reminder. May Allah reward his efforts for delivering an excellent talk. And may I be constantly reminded. Amin ya rabbal alamin.

* I encourage everyone of you to watch this brilliant talk, even if you’re a non-Muslim or not religious. His other talks (of different issues) can be found on YouTube and I’ve been one of many people who have benefited from them.

Even after all this time
The Sun never says to the Earth,
"You owe me."

Look what happens
with a love like that,
It lights the whole sky

— Hafez

You are an ocean in a drop of dew,
all the universes in a thin sack of blood.

What are these pleasures then,
these joys, these worlds
that you keep reaching for,
hoping they will make you more alive?

— Jalal ad-Din Rumi

A reminder for myself.

“I’m not very creative” doesn’t work. There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t. Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear. It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear.

— Brene Brown

Look at love
how it tangles
with the one fallen in love

Look at spirit
how it fuses with earth
giving it new life

Why are you so busy
with this or that or good or bad
Pay attention to how things blend

Why talk about all
the known and the unknown
See how the unknown merges into the known

Why think separately
of this life and the next
when one is born from the last

Look at your heart and tongue
one feels but deaf and dumb
the other speaks in words and signs

Look at water and fire
earth and wind
enemies and friends all at once

The wolf and the lamb
the lion and the deer
far away yet together

Look at the unity of this
spring and winter
manifested in the equinox

You too must mingle my friends
since the earth and the sky
are mingled just for you and me

Be like sugarcane
sweet yet silent
Don’t get mixed up with bitter words

My beloved grows
right out of my own heart
How much more union can there be?

— Jalal ad-Din Rumi

Innalillahi wa innailaihi rojiun.

I was very shocked to find out that my uncle (I usually call him papa) has passed away today. I still can’t believe that it happened to him. He had an accident on his journey to Madinah. The bus driver suffered from sleep deprivation and hit a truck. Everyone, except him, was fine and only suffered from minor injuries. It was as if Allah SWT deliberately wanted to take him away…

His death is a great loss to our extended family. We can no longer hear his laugh that can be heard all over the house. His "goooooooollllll" scream when he watches a football match. His encouraging words. His jokes…. Oh, I feel like it was only yesterday that we had this interesting discussion about politics in Egypt. I still can’t believe this.

I’m greatly worried about my aunt and my four cousins, especially the two youngest ones. Ya Allah, give them the strength and the patience to go through this difficult time…