Today is March 25, 2023, it is now 10:30, the third day of Ramadan 2023 and at this moment I feel thoroughly, entirely, completely blessed.
You: Why?
Me: Because it is snowing.
You: What is so great about that?
Me: Snow is so beautiful, particularly from my vantage point – from the sixteenth floor. But then it melted away – and it is quite unattractive – or down right ugly, to be blunt. The grass is not green, there are no leaves at all on the trees, much less colorful ones. No flowers in the flower beds – bleak, bleak bleak.
You: I catch your drift.
Me: Now that is a funny thing to say, particularly when we are talking about snow.
Catching someone’s drift is an idiom meaning that you accept, appreciate, comprehend, fathom, perceive what another person is saying, to understand what one is suggesting. It is to understand the general meaning of what someone is saying. Used in a sentence: “She could see from his expression that he caught her drift immediately.”
Have not been in a prolonged winter for fifty-five years, therefore I do not blame myself for not being aware of the nuances found when one experiences the four seasons. (Nuance is a subtle distinction/difference, variation, degree; subtlety). My first awareness came via an Instagram reel, a man began speaking of the four Canadian seasons, rapturously commenting on summer, autumn and winter. But then he got to spring – spoke of what a mess everything is. He ended saying that there were four seasons in Canada – summer, autumn, winter and betrayal. I laughed out loud, all to myself, when viewing.
The snow has ceased already but it did bring temporary elation. I was dancing around the apartment, praising and thanking Allah (SWT) for the special gift. It is probably going to melt, the temperatures shall rise to a balmy 6 degrees Celsius. It was only a light dusting. Some things are not meant to be lasting . However, no one can take away my temporary elation (no one but me), Now that is profound. The opposite of elation is misery. The other words for elation will bring you joy: exhilaration, joyousness, delight, glee; excitement, animation, jubilation, exultation, ecstasy, euphoria, bliss, rapture, rhapsody, cloud nine, heaven, paradise, seventh heaven; the top of the world. There was I, on top of the world, on cloud nine, in animated excitement. I loved the moment – realizing, on some level, that it would not last. It did not, I am fine with that. The Islamic Faith makes the distinction between happiness and contentment. I do not feel like talking about this at this moment, instead will return to my prose of yesterday.
I ‘sort of met’, through Instagram, a young man, born in the Islamic Faith, in Africa. He spoke of his ambitions for Ramadan 2023, his goal was to read the entire Quran (for the fourth time) during Ramadan. He began the awesome task of memorizing the Quran at a young age, however his instructor left the country. He was bereft and gave it all up – now regrets it. (Not wanting to be too negative on this day but one only ‘sort of’ meets someone on Instagram. You never get to really know them because they have a false front. It is disillusioning, but one can quickly get over it because they were never going to be in your life anyway. They need Instagram to form connections, never revealing their true selves. Therefore, pity is the very best response when one learns their true identity. Pity is compassion, sympathy, and fellow feeling. Pity, and stepping aside, – not turning one’s back.
Reading each and every chapter and verse of Ramadan in the thirty allotted days is admirable – that is not my ambition. I am plotting a different course of action, intending to read a verse a day, think deeply about it but more importantly practice its principles – taking the verse and apply it to my everyday life. The verse shall be chosen at random by flipping through the pages.
I have been blessed by a ‘new’ Quran, I say laughingly. It is a super small paperback, purchased from a used Edmonton book store, accidentally found, the Alhambra Bookstore. No signs of prior use – seemed like new. The cost? $5.00 Canadian, which is $3.62 American. My retirement income is deposited in US dollars. To say the very least, a bargain. Moreover, it is more readable, more intelligible than any of my other nine Qurans. It is published by Goodreads, a company headquartered in India. There are other publications, the website provided.
This is my first verse – it fills me with both awe and queries.
Quran 82; 10-19. Surely there are guardians watching over you, noble recorders who know all that you do. The virtuous will dwell in bliss whereas the wicked will be in hell which they shall enter on the Day of Judgment. And from which they shake fund bi escape. What will make you realize what the Day of Judgment shall be? Again, what will make you realize what the Day of Judgment shall be? It shall be a day when no human being shall will be of the least avail to any other human being. God (Alone) will hold command on that day.
The is enormous power in these words.You see, I was on the horns of a dilemma, his verse answered the question and resolved the dilemma.
When one escapes from between the horns of a dilemma you see that one, two or three of these premises are false. By showing at least one premise false, you are showing the moral dilemma argument to be unsound.
Another way to put it: the phrase “horns of a dilemma” describes someone faced with two equally unpleasant outcomes and forced to choose one. Step to left and risk evisceration from a charging bull; step the right and meet the same fate. There is no way to avoid harm with the exception of refusing to step into the ring in the first place.”
Personally, the second definition is the most palatable. You avoid that bull at all cost, do not get near that bull in the first place.
Me: You must be joking! I am not getting in that ring with those bulls.
They: Go right ahead – they will not hurt you.
Me: Then why don’t you get in there first and show me how.
They: No. That is not my job.
Me: Nor is it mine.
Allah (SWT) advices through the Quran that believers should not put their trust in mortals, but trust Allah alone. But there always is the temptation to get a new best friend, a new husband, a new admirer, a new and faithful companion, who will meet all of your needs (both expressed and unexpressed). That is false. People are human and they will disappoint. “Judgment Day shall be a day when no human being shall will be of the least avail to any other human being. God (Alone) will hold command on that day.”
Problem solved and applied. Neither you, nor I should expect such results on a daily basis during Ramadan 2023. I will put in the effort, the results are solely in Allah’s hands.
The attached photo does not capture the absolute glory of last night’s sunset. It was truly magnificent. It was made even more glorious because it signaled FOOD. After sixteen hours there was food on my plate, placed there in loving kindness by Alexis McBride. Hahahaha
The other photo is my building, pictured during the beautiful snowy days.
