A new promising and needed project has finally seen the light. Adage Ltd. is a not-for-profit translation and education company devoted to the production of the first online database of hadīth (the sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad) in different languages, starting with a complete English translation.
Such a project is highly important nowadays, when truth is distorted, and lies are taking the lead, where Islam is constantly being attacked and prejudiced. The core aim of this project is to clear the misunderstandings about Islam, and to spread the fruits of Islamic knowledge to the world. While it can prove highly effective for scholars and Muslims, it can also be very useful to anyone seeking to know more about Islam from an authentic source. Nobody can better represent what Islam is really about more than the Prophet of Islam himself. This is a must-see website that is extending a hand with peace and a real desire for more understanding and tolerance. Please see for yourself:http://www.adageonline.net/
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
On nature and things!
When you watch a movie for the first time, you are naturally consumed in the story. But this one touched me like no other. The meanings in it were thought provoking and as I watched it for the second time a year later, I was wrapped in those inspiring thoughts rather than what was taking place. Cast Away is the well known movie of a sole survivor from a plane crash who ended up on a distant island and had to endure the elements and simply stay alive. To us, the privileged ones who live in cities, with on-call electricity, running water and endless high-tech gismos, that would be hell on earth. I remember that when my sister once went to a safari in Africa and told me about the living conditions she would go through there, I told her right then and there that that would be my worst nightmare. Or is it? Well, this is not what this summer taught me. But I will come to that later.
Back to the movie cause it was a wake-up call for all the things that we take for granted. You need only to watch how long it took and agonizing it was to light a single fire, to realize what that means to a man in that situation. You are actually taken aback by his roaring and wild dancing around the bonfire he kept hailing! It is like he was stripped bare from all the layers that living in a society puts on us and became free and simply human. It is that spark of humanity that made him long for companionship to the point that he took a volleyball, that landed among the boxes with him, as a friend and named it “Wilson” after drawing its features with his own blood. He would talk to that ball rain or shine and have it go through it all with him. He even mourned when he lost it in his attempt to escape the island and sobbing aloud and ended up letting go of the paddles since losing “Wilson” could to many of us mean losing it all! Yes, it is those “Wilsons” in our lives, or our loved ones if you wish, that help us identify who we are and with whom happiness and sharing gain a new meaning every time. Yet, it is a Higher Sublime Mercy that picks us up when we fall and lends us a hand to stand on our feet again just like our hero was saved right after losing Wilson!
Having him rescued could have been a good end to that story. But, no. It is the sharp contrast that shocks you between what used to be his ordinary life in the city and that on the island. The man now in a cold dark blue navy shirt and a dull brown jacket, surrounded by grey walls, not talking much and walking slowly trying to take in that new ambience, was the very same man alive and vibrant on that island. Barely covered in rags, with tanned limbs and sun-damaged face, with long messy hair and beard, hunting with accuracy and eating raw fish! Now in the city, no one even noticed the lighter that would create the fire he almost died for. Loads of food lay there on the table in front of him. A fuzz of noise and people surrounded him. A soft cozy bed was waiting for him that he neglected and slept on the floor instead. How many blessings do we bask in day in and out and never even pay attention to!
I am amazed how this summer has changed me. When I watched that movie the first time, I did with agony for the hero’s ordeal. It is remarkable how I now consider the time on that island as the real pleasure. Imagine sleeping with stars as your company and the ocean humming its soothing lullaby. Imagine the endless turquoise water, the luscious trees and the cuddling sand. Nature was created to amply provide for and take care of us. It is not to be feared at all if you take the time to listen to it and get rid of the limiting mind frames of the city’s abundant restrictions. I left work and worries behind in my trip to the mountains this summer. I blocked out annoying inside and outside voices and surrendered to that new world. I closed my eyes and breathed in the cool fresh mountain air. Every whiff early in the morning filled me with joy and pure pleasure. I basked my bare face in the warm sun and got my arms out of the car’s window welcoming that beauty. The wind that sneaked into my long sleeves thrilled me. I let my imagination loose contemplating the shapes on the tops of the rocky mountains and the faces my mind’s eye saw there were watching me go by and kept smiling back at me. And on and on came the images. The violent rush of water in the falls. The soft mist that stood there right above it. The canyon walls that could never be solid enough to stop each drop of water from carving its own story as it went down the falls. The wild animals that crossed the streets in a mellow manner and ate wild berries paying no attention to the human beings standing in awe and taking pictures of their magnificence. The placid lake embraced by a guarding mountain in the background and adored by its surroundings. The cold water in the stream that called me to step on its rocks and hail the splashes that came my way. I collected little colorful rocks in all shapes just like little kids do. I sat on the shore of the lakes enveloped in the tranquility and in harmony with my atmosphere that I wanted nothing else but to remain there for the rest of my life. It was my very first time to actually welcome the outdoors and discover that side in me; the free spirit and spontaneous demeanor.
Back to the movie cause it was a wake-up call for all the things that we take for granted. You need only to watch how long it took and agonizing it was to light a single fire, to realize what that means to a man in that situation. You are actually taken aback by his roaring and wild dancing around the bonfire he kept hailing! It is like he was stripped bare from all the layers that living in a society puts on us and became free and simply human. It is that spark of humanity that made him long for companionship to the point that he took a volleyball, that landed among the boxes with him, as a friend and named it “Wilson” after drawing its features with his own blood. He would talk to that ball rain or shine and have it go through it all with him. He even mourned when he lost it in his attempt to escape the island and sobbing aloud and ended up letting go of the paddles since losing “Wilson” could to many of us mean losing it all! Yes, it is those “Wilsons” in our lives, or our loved ones if you wish, that help us identify who we are and with whom happiness and sharing gain a new meaning every time. Yet, it is a Higher Sublime Mercy that picks us up when we fall and lends us a hand to stand on our feet again just like our hero was saved right after losing Wilson!
Having him rescued could have been a good end to that story. But, no. It is the sharp contrast that shocks you between what used to be his ordinary life in the city and that on the island. The man now in a cold dark blue navy shirt and a dull brown jacket, surrounded by grey walls, not talking much and walking slowly trying to take in that new ambience, was the very same man alive and vibrant on that island. Barely covered in rags, with tanned limbs and sun-damaged face, with long messy hair and beard, hunting with accuracy and eating raw fish! Now in the city, no one even noticed the lighter that would create the fire he almost died for. Loads of food lay there on the table in front of him. A fuzz of noise and people surrounded him. A soft cozy bed was waiting for him that he neglected and slept on the floor instead. How many blessings do we bask in day in and out and never even pay attention to!
I am amazed how this summer has changed me. When I watched that movie the first time, I did with agony for the hero’s ordeal. It is remarkable how I now consider the time on that island as the real pleasure. Imagine sleeping with stars as your company and the ocean humming its soothing lullaby. Imagine the endless turquoise water, the luscious trees and the cuddling sand. Nature was created to amply provide for and take care of us. It is not to be feared at all if you take the time to listen to it and get rid of the limiting mind frames of the city’s abundant restrictions. I left work and worries behind in my trip to the mountains this summer. I blocked out annoying inside and outside voices and surrendered to that new world. I closed my eyes and breathed in the cool fresh mountain air. Every whiff early in the morning filled me with joy and pure pleasure. I basked my bare face in the warm sun and got my arms out of the car’s window welcoming that beauty. The wind that sneaked into my long sleeves thrilled me. I let my imagination loose contemplating the shapes on the tops of the rocky mountains and the faces my mind’s eye saw there were watching me go by and kept smiling back at me. And on and on came the images. The violent rush of water in the falls. The soft mist that stood there right above it. The canyon walls that could never be solid enough to stop each drop of water from carving its own story as it went down the falls. The wild animals that crossed the streets in a mellow manner and ate wild berries paying no attention to the human beings standing in awe and taking pictures of their magnificence. The placid lake embraced by a guarding mountain in the background and adored by its surroundings. The cold water in the stream that called me to step on its rocks and hail the splashes that came my way. I collected little colorful rocks in all shapes just like little kids do. I sat on the shore of the lakes enveloped in the tranquility and in harmony with my atmosphere that I wanted nothing else but to remain there for the rest of my life. It was my very first time to actually welcome the outdoors and discover that side in me; the free spirit and spontaneous demeanor.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Behind every face!
A touching video sent to me by a sweet, sweet soul.
Oh how we never see beyond our own concerns and what a blessing it would be to unravel the stories behind every face. Oh how lonely and confined we are in our own worlds and how warm human gestures relieve so many pains. It is simply what being human is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeXxkbgCVE
Watch it and let the tears flow.
Oh how we never see beyond our own concerns and what a blessing it would be to unravel the stories behind every face. Oh how lonely and confined we are in our own worlds and how warm human gestures relieve so many pains. It is simply what being human is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeXxkbgCVE
Watch it and let the tears flow.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Numb!
It is a weird feeling, of no feeling basically. I do not need, miss or love any more. I simply prefer to be on my own, confined to what I know sometimes and trying to get by without upsetting anyone as much as I can. It could be because I know how much pain the three feelings above put you through that I decided to throw the baby with the bath water. It could also be that the concept of "feeling" is much rediculed in a world of moving on, practicality and priorities, that I have discarded the whole concept. I don't know. The problem is that I am and have always been a bundle of feelings and this no man's land that I am in is leaving me lost. It feels like something is missing from the picture. The days are going by, goals are reached, almost, and feelings are pushed aside. It is like I am waiting for a friendly face to rekindle the human being in me. Was walking by in my new neighbourhood the other day and greeted back the nice couple that came my way and left me thinking. How would it be like if I have friends again, like a company maybe that I can sit with and maybe laugh again? Am I able to give again; or for that matter take? Is being numb a mere state to cope with what I could not cope with otherwise, or is it a new reality?
Days will tell.
Days will tell.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Stories
Raining cats and dogs outside, a true sign of spring here, and the clouds are thick and heavy. But, do I care? Nope! I somehow enjoy the day light that tells me that the sun is still there somewhere waiting to shine with its pristine smile again. But rain or shine, I have had some time for myself today at last after grueling weeks of packing and unpacking that preceded and followed moving to a new place. Moving is indeed a tricky business. Take aside the gnawing state of instability, the complete mess and the immense physical effort needed, that left me feeling cheated when I was not fit at all for the that marathon, it is the sorting that drains you most. That was the third time for me to pack and move in the six years I have spent in Canada. But the first two times followed a ten-month stay only. This time, on the other hand, it followed 4 years! It is overwhelming to dig up stuff you put away to read later that end up untouched for years, the pile of small broken appliances that you wished to fix one day, the clothes and toys that the kids have outgrown, and the list goes on. But it is the memories that come along with everything that do stop you every now and then to think and remember. It is like John Grisham puts it, “Everything I touched brought by a story with it.” I went through my papers to decide what to shred and what to keep and a warm whiff of reminiscence took me back to friends I have not seen in a long while and ones that I may never see again. Sweet words of endearment that left me pondering on the whereabouts of those people and whether they have changed. Beautiful cards that kept me grateful to those who simply thought of me. Old pictures of myself that display an array of expressions reflecting how the character evolved as responsibilities changed and perspectives progressed. Art crafts the kids made that I saved and used to keep on the fridge for them to see how I appreciated them. Old memoirs with goals I am yet to attain and potentials I have finally met. Worn-out books that accompanied me through long nights of studying and frustrations. Bitter-sweet memories and many many stories.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Like Mommy...
Dear Mom,
Mom, you're as sweet as sugar. You smell like spring flowers.
You look so beautiful. I love when you touch me with your gentle touch.
You stand up for me when I need you and I'll always need you.
Love,
Your daughter
My daughter's own sweet sweet words in a cute letter that came in a neat bag with a mother's day present she made with her own hands . A kind pat on the shoulder on a day I found no reason to get up from bed for. Just when I thought that no one is there, just when I thought that no one cares, just when I saw myself as I always do, I found that someone that close can still call me sweet, gentle or beautiful. And the beauty of her word! Ahh, a writer in the making.
Mom, you're as sweet as sugar. You smell like spring flowers.
You look so beautiful. I love when you touch me with your gentle touch.
You stand up for me when I need you and I'll always need you.
Love,
Your daughter
My daughter's own sweet sweet words in a cute letter that came in a neat bag with a mother's day present she made with her own hands . A kind pat on the shoulder on a day I found no reason to get up from bed for. Just when I thought that no one is there, just when I thought that no one cares, just when I saw myself as I always do, I found that someone that close can still call me sweet, gentle or beautiful. And the beauty of her word! Ahh, a writer in the making.
Under My Skin
I need someone to explain to me why this song just won't be shaken off my head. Heard it by chance in a commercial and because I have known it all along it has been buzzing in my head for days now! This is a pure case of admiration of the mere song, mind you, the lyrics, the performance, the soft jazz, yet there is no one that I relate this song to. Yeah, that weakness I have is endless when it comes to the blues and soft jazz I know. You just cannot help closing your eyes and delving deep in that world of beauty once that lady starts. It's under my skin I guess.
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