This is so cool!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The Man With No Heart
A letter between Imam Hasan al-Banna and one of his students:
My sir and teacher,
Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatuAllah wa barakatuh,
Has the news of the man with no heart reached you? As for the heart which is that red muscle that pumps blood, then he has it with no doubt as the man is alive. However as for the heart which flows with emotions, vivid sensations, and living consciousness, then regrettably he doesn't have it!
That man recognizes fine beauty with a simple glance, as much as he identifies hidden ugliness with that quick passing glance, and he is able to read the news of a man from his facial expressions and gestures with good accuracy. But despite all that, the man has no heart.
He meets a long gone friend with handshakes and hugs, but his heart feels hard and does not resonate. He asks people to be this and to be that, and he debates and protests, but his heart just feels like a rock. He receives good news with a smile, and bad news with a frown, but his happiness and sadness are mechanical, and his heart is silent of emotions. He declares his love or hate to someone, and then when he looks into his own heart he finds it still with no signs of being affected. He stands up ready for prayer with determination, and he reads the Qur'an with focus, and he prays and people say that his tone is full of reverence and emotions, but when he looks into his heart, he finds it deaf, with no signs of reverence (khushoo') even though it grasped the meaning of the prayer.
This description is true my sir, I didn't add to nor did I omit anything from it, so are you still able to admit that this heart is like the rest of hearts?
I was given intellect, but my heart was taken away from me, and I've always felt my intellect glowing, alive and vividly working, proving its presence all the time, but in vain have I tried to prove the same for my heart.
And finally, the news of the man with no heart has reached you.
He is a youth who pledged allegiance to you, and you took from him a solemn covenant, so would you be satisfied if one of your soldiers has no heart? Would you try to revive my heart so that it reflects what the tongue says with feelings and emotions? This is the agony of one of your soldiers, you would be pained to know who he is, that is why I will hold off from mentioning his name until the day when I congratulate you with his cure,
wa Alaikum assalam wa rahmatuAllah wa barakatuh.
The answer from Imam Al Banna
My brother,
Wa Alaikum assalam wa rahmatuAllah wa barakatuh,
I was very touched by reading your letter because of the sincerity in your tone and your amazing courage…and because of the delicacy of your mental awareness and the life in your heart. You are not, my dear, dead hearted as you claim, but you are a sensitive young man, with a clear soul and accurate senses, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to blame yourself or deny your feelings, but your strong resolve and high sense of purpose makes you belittle yourself and ask more of your conscience, and that is alright as that's how you're supposed to be. I will go along with your claims and will try to present to you some advice, and if they benefit you and you find in them a cure then all praise is due to Allah for His accommodation. Otherwise I would be happy to meet with you so we can work together on diagnosing the illness and finding for it a cure.
Accompanying the people of reverence (khushoo') and contemplation, and the people of intellect and devotion and staying with this kind of righteous God-fearing people that are full of wisdom, and whose faces shine with light, and whose hearts emanate with knowledge – and how rare are they – is a successful medication. So work hard on finding for yourself such people that you befriend and accompany, and connect your soul with theirs, and your nafs with theirs, and spend with them most of your free time. Beware of the fake ones, but rather seek those whose actions reflect goodness, and those whom when you see, you remember Allah. Such company is the best of medications, for traits and characters rub on each other, and the heart is affected by the heart, and the soul takes from another soul, so work hard on finding for yourself a friend of those good souls.
Reflection and contemplation in the times of seclusion and tranquility, and whispering to Allah and contemplating in this amazing and extraordinary universe, and investigating the secret of beauty and its magnificence, and looking deep into the heart, and tongue affecting them with this magical glory and supreme wisdom. All of that, my dear, is something that extends life to the heart, and will enlighten the nafs with belief and certainty: "Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for those of understanding" (Qur'an 3:190).
Reflecting upon the human community, and trying to understand its sources of happiness and sorrow, its ill-being and bliss, visiting the sick, comforting those who are faced with misery, and trying to understand the psychological causes of ungratefulness and disbelief, of oppression and aggression, of favoritism and selfishness, and of the deceit in things that are bound to vanish. All those are hits on the chords of the hearts and they have the power of bringing life to the heart. So work hard on making your presence a comfort for those who are in despair, and a condolence to those who are in affliction as there is no stronger impact on our senses like helping out those who are in need, and coming to the rescue of the heartbroken and comforting those who are in misery.
And finally my dear, hearts are in the hands of Allah alone, He directs it as He wills, so be insisting and persistent in making Du'ah to Allah that He fills your heart with life, and expands your chest with belief (Eman), and bestows upon you the coolness of certainty - a blessing and favor from Him. And focus your Du'ah during the selected times that are most due for Allah's answer, and the early hours (Sahar - before dawn) as making Du'ah during that time is an arrow that reaches the throne of Allah, and I have no doubt that you are sincere in your purpose and devoted in your daa'wah. "…indeed Allah does accept of those who are righteous." (Qur'an 5:27)
Your brother,
Hassan Al Banna
My sir and teacher,
Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatuAllah wa barakatuh,
Has the news of the man with no heart reached you? As for the heart which is that red muscle that pumps blood, then he has it with no doubt as the man is alive. However as for the heart which flows with emotions, vivid sensations, and living consciousness, then regrettably he doesn't have it!
That man recognizes fine beauty with a simple glance, as much as he identifies hidden ugliness with that quick passing glance, and he is able to read the news of a man from his facial expressions and gestures with good accuracy. But despite all that, the man has no heart.
He meets a long gone friend with handshakes and hugs, but his heart feels hard and does not resonate. He asks people to be this and to be that, and he debates and protests, but his heart just feels like a rock. He receives good news with a smile, and bad news with a frown, but his happiness and sadness are mechanical, and his heart is silent of emotions. He declares his love or hate to someone, and then when he looks into his own heart he finds it still with no signs of being affected. He stands up ready for prayer with determination, and he reads the Qur'an with focus, and he prays and people say that his tone is full of reverence and emotions, but when he looks into his heart, he finds it deaf, with no signs of reverence (khushoo') even though it grasped the meaning of the prayer.
This description is true my sir, I didn't add to nor did I omit anything from it, so are you still able to admit that this heart is like the rest of hearts?
I was given intellect, but my heart was taken away from me, and I've always felt my intellect glowing, alive and vividly working, proving its presence all the time, but in vain have I tried to prove the same for my heart.
And finally, the news of the man with no heart has reached you.
He is a youth who pledged allegiance to you, and you took from him a solemn covenant, so would you be satisfied if one of your soldiers has no heart? Would you try to revive my heart so that it reflects what the tongue says with feelings and emotions? This is the agony of one of your soldiers, you would be pained to know who he is, that is why I will hold off from mentioning his name until the day when I congratulate you with his cure,
wa Alaikum assalam wa rahmatuAllah wa barakatuh.
The answer from Imam Al Banna
My brother,
Wa Alaikum assalam wa rahmatuAllah wa barakatuh,
I was very touched by reading your letter because of the sincerity in your tone and your amazing courage…and because of the delicacy of your mental awareness and the life in your heart. You are not, my dear, dead hearted as you claim, but you are a sensitive young man, with a clear soul and accurate senses, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to blame yourself or deny your feelings, but your strong resolve and high sense of purpose makes you belittle yourself and ask more of your conscience, and that is alright as that's how you're supposed to be. I will go along with your claims and will try to present to you some advice, and if they benefit you and you find in them a cure then all praise is due to Allah for His accommodation. Otherwise I would be happy to meet with you so we can work together on diagnosing the illness and finding for it a cure.
Accompanying the people of reverence (khushoo') and contemplation, and the people of intellect and devotion and staying with this kind of righteous God-fearing people that are full of wisdom, and whose faces shine with light, and whose hearts emanate with knowledge – and how rare are they – is a successful medication. So work hard on finding for yourself such people that you befriend and accompany, and connect your soul with theirs, and your nafs with theirs, and spend with them most of your free time. Beware of the fake ones, but rather seek those whose actions reflect goodness, and those whom when you see, you remember Allah. Such company is the best of medications, for traits and characters rub on each other, and the heart is affected by the heart, and the soul takes from another soul, so work hard on finding for yourself a friend of those good souls.
Reflection and contemplation in the times of seclusion and tranquility, and whispering to Allah and contemplating in this amazing and extraordinary universe, and investigating the secret of beauty and its magnificence, and looking deep into the heart, and tongue affecting them with this magical glory and supreme wisdom. All of that, my dear, is something that extends life to the heart, and will enlighten the nafs with belief and certainty: "Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for those of understanding" (Qur'an 3:190).
Reflecting upon the human community, and trying to understand its sources of happiness and sorrow, its ill-being and bliss, visiting the sick, comforting those who are faced with misery, and trying to understand the psychological causes of ungratefulness and disbelief, of oppression and aggression, of favoritism and selfishness, and of the deceit in things that are bound to vanish. All those are hits on the chords of the hearts and they have the power of bringing life to the heart. So work hard on making your presence a comfort for those who are in despair, and a condolence to those who are in affliction as there is no stronger impact on our senses like helping out those who are in need, and coming to the rescue of the heartbroken and comforting those who are in misery.
And finally my dear, hearts are in the hands of Allah alone, He directs it as He wills, so be insisting and persistent in making Du'ah to Allah that He fills your heart with life, and expands your chest with belief (Eman), and bestows upon you the coolness of certainty - a blessing and favor from Him. And focus your Du'ah during the selected times that are most due for Allah's answer, and the early hours (Sahar - before dawn) as making Du'ah during that time is an arrow that reaches the throne of Allah, and I have no doubt that you are sincere in your purpose and devoted in your daa'wah. "…indeed Allah does accept of those who are righteous." (Qur'an 5:27)
Your brother,
Hassan Al Banna
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Another Perspective on Prop 8
Proponents of Prop 8 continue to lie in their television ads.
Vote as you please, but don't be deceived. Here’s what’s fiction and what’s fact:
Fiction: Teaching children about same-sex marriage will happen here unless we pass Prop 8.
Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education, and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it, and the Yes on 8 campaign knows they are lying. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley has already ruled that this claim by Prop 8 proponents is “false and misleading.
Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.
Fact: Nothing in Prop 8 would force churches to do anything. In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.
Fiction: A Massachusetts case about a parent’s objection to the school curriculum will happen here.
Fact: Unlike Massachusetts, California gives parents an absolute right to remove their kids and opt-out of teaching on health and family instruction they don’t agree with. The opponents know that California law already covers this and Prop 8 won’t affect it, so they bring up an irrelevant case in Massachusetts.
Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…
Fact: Prop 8 is not about courts and judges, it’s about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn’t grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren’t supposed to protect rights and freedoms. This campaign is about whether Californians, right now, in 2008 are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.
Fiction: People can be sued over personal beliefs.
Fact: California’s laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.
Fiction: Pepperdine University supports the Yes on 8 campaign.
Fact: The university has publicly disassociated itself from Professor Richard Peterson of Pepperdine University, who is featured in the ad, and has asked to not be identified in the Yes on 8 advertisements.
Fiction: Unless Prop 8 passes, CA parents won’t have the right to object to what their children are taught in school.
Fact: California law clearly gives parents and guardians broad authority to remove their children from any health instruction if it conflicts with their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
Vote as you please, but don't be deceived. Here’s what’s fiction and what’s fact:
Fiction: Teaching children about same-sex marriage will happen here unless we pass Prop 8.
Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education, and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it, and the Yes on 8 campaign knows they are lying. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley has already ruled that this claim by Prop 8 proponents is “false and misleading.
Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.
Fact: Nothing in Prop 8 would force churches to do anything. In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.
Fiction: A Massachusetts case about a parent’s objection to the school curriculum will happen here.
Fact: Unlike Massachusetts, California gives parents an absolute right to remove their kids and opt-out of teaching on health and family instruction they don’t agree with. The opponents know that California law already covers this and Prop 8 won’t affect it, so they bring up an irrelevant case in Massachusetts.
Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…
Fact: Prop 8 is not about courts and judges, it’s about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn’t grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren’t supposed to protect rights and freedoms. This campaign is about whether Californians, right now, in 2008 are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.
Fiction: People can be sued over personal beliefs.
Fact: California’s laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.
Fiction: Pepperdine University supports the Yes on 8 campaign.
Fact: The university has publicly disassociated itself from Professor Richard Peterson of Pepperdine University, who is featured in the ad, and has asked to not be identified in the Yes on 8 advertisements.
Fiction: Unless Prop 8 passes, CA parents won’t have the right to object to what their children are taught in school.
Fact: California law clearly gives parents and guardians broad authority to remove their children from any health instruction if it conflicts with their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Hijabi Monologues
Greetings of Peace,
Please keep the evening of November 19th open, myself and May AlHassen will be performing Hijabi Monologues and would love for you all to be there.
On Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 9PM in Chino Hills, California
LionLike MindState
Hosted by award-winning spoken word poet Judah 1
MOSAIC Inland
5540 Schaefer Ave
Chino, CA 91710
The Hijabi Monologues is about the power of storytelling.
It is about creating a space for American Muslim women to share their voices; a space to breathe as they are; a space that does not claim to tell every story and speak for every voice.
Through the power of storytelling, generalizations and categories are challenged. Through stories, strangers touch and connect. Through stories, the story-teller and listener are humanized.
Hijabi Monologues: Our stories. Our words.
Please keep the evening of November 19th open, myself and May AlHassen will be performing Hijabi Monologues and would love for you all to be there.
On Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 9PM in Chino Hills, California
LionLike MindState
Hosted by award-winning spoken word poet Judah 1
MOSAIC Inland
5540 Schaefer Ave
Chino, CA 91710
The Hijabi Monologues is about the power of storytelling.
It is about creating a space for American Muslim women to share their voices; a space to breathe as they are; a space that does not claim to tell every story and speak for every voice.
Through the power of storytelling, generalizations and categories are challenged. Through stories, strangers touch and connect. Through stories, the story-teller and listener are humanized.
Hijabi Monologues: Our stories. Our words.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Vote Smarter 2008
Check out these short political ads from an aspiring Muslimah Film Maker!
Technology:
Palin:
Straight Talk:
Check out more of these great ads at Vote Smarter 2008.
Technology:
Palin:
Straight Talk:
Check out more of these great ads at Vote Smarter 2008.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
FiveThirtyEight
This is a really good site to keep up with if you're following the elections. The site keeps tabs on polls conducted on a daily basis and does analysis and projections.
*538 is in reference to the size of the Electoral College.
*538 is in reference to the size of the Electoral College.
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