This Sunday April 27, 2025 has been a most unusual morning, and it has only just begun. I awoke before my Fajr prayer alarm sounded. Routinely and usually the feelings upon waking can best be described as despair, feeling the slings and arrows suffered from former failed relationships and personal slights from the mere mortals that have inhabited my life – and continue to do so. Mere mortals or, in the words of Fazil, craven characters. I prefer craven characters. (the wording not the guys).
This morning a flood of feelings that will be difficult to articulate. I shall put the pedal to the metal – making a valiant attempt.
Synonyms of the phrase ‘pedal to the metal’ are advance, expedite, further, hasten, quicken spur, step up, stimulate. Here goes.
Relationships with mere mortals often leave a void, those mortals often do not live up to expectations – my expectations, their own expectations, their parent’s expectations, their children’s expectations. society’s expectations. This creates a void. This void can be filled with the love of Allah (SWT) if one asks. If it is asked, and then granted Inshallah the person or situation can continue with the (probably incurable) deficiencies without my piling on more expectations or being angry. I can be patient with their limitations – patiently making the decision if they have something, anything to offer. If they have nothing whatsoever to offer, walk away leaving both of us with dignity.
Explaining the flood of feelings was not as difficult as I thought it would be. It is always important to take the first step, then to trust in Allah (SWT)
This morning I prayed, then briefly went back to bed. Looked out the window to see a vast and glorious sunrise. A photo could not capture its grandeur, so I filmed a video sending it to about eight people on Whats App waiting for responses. They were slow in coming.
The first came at 7:38 from Peter, but I did not see it at the time as he had been archived. He sent a photo of his dawn.
Me: This yours??? Wow!!!
He: Was on my boat this morning.
The second response (the first I saw this morning) was from Yasmin. She sent a photo of her sunrise.
Me: Wow Look at yours. Mashallah Alhamdulillah
She: Sunrise at my walking place. Subahannkkah isn’t it Beautiful. How Almighty has created it. The human beings are so ungrateful. I just got home after a long walk.
Me: I agree Human beings SO ungrateful to their Creator. Of all the people I sent this to you were the first, and only, to respond. Some of the folk are real Muslims (not Malaysian government made ones) They are quite faithful and knowledgeable but they sleep. I guess stumbling back to bed after Fajr prayer because it is a weekend (or something).
Alina sent the next response, while I was in conversation with Yasmin.
Me: Alina said she could watch for hours the mesmerizing spectacle. Yikes Fazil sent me an email. So much going on with me this morning I can hardly keep up.
She: Would you like to taste my food. If so I can bring it and drop it at the hotel in the evening. Let me know this.
Me:That is so wonderful. I feel blessed. 😇
Alina had chimed in saying.
She: I could sit there for hours mesmerized by the spectacle.
Me: It is so amazing. Yasmin and I were talking about how most people do not really appreciate the glory of our creator. We were both astounded at that. It was wonderful to get your response. Yes when you look and see how the sunrise illuminates our life – great word I just thought of.
She: Yes! Also the opportunity to ‘reset” There’s something about watching the vastness of the sea, sunrise, walking the beach, hearing the waves that helps me to reset. A certain ‘grounding’ when walking on the beach.
Me: Love your wording and may steal it for the blog. Hearing the waves helping me to reset. A certain grounding walking on the beach. A perfect description of what I feel and all the while surrounded by the glory of our Creator’s magnificence. It is SO special talking to you and to Yasmin. Fazil just sent me an email. We usually correspond in other ways. The three of you are the finest and best of the Muslims I have ever met, Each in your own way. All chance meetings which Had to be Allah’s gift to me.
Sometime later Alina and I had the following conversation.
She: I just read your About Me” in totality. Finally (kinda an overdue read). Your part to be ‘the chosen one’ is interesting. The calling…the path towards and to draw closer to Allah SWT – Different people are moved by different things. I am reminded about some version the Quran “You can’t guide towards faith those whom you love, Allah guides whom he wills” This based my recollection of what I had read. May Allah forgive me if anything amiss in my conveying. The first time I cam across this was when reading Tariq Ramadan’s book about the life of the Final Messenger, the Prophet’s Muhammed PBUH. The verse was revealed after the Prophet’s SAW dear uncle who chose not to embrace Islam despite the Prophet’s PBUH’s attempts go ‘save’ his beloved uncle.
Me: I am familiar with those words as well. YES it is Allah’s will and decision alone no matter how unlikely it may seem.
The email from Fazil was about another matter. It was about the spectacle of Pope Francis’ funeral and all the silly speculation and focus on the color of Trump’s suit. His sense of humor brought joy.
He: They are slowly losing the plot.
Me: What a fantastic thing to say. You are rescuing me from feeling totally alienated from the human race. I am laughing as I write. It is a most unusual morning. I am writing about it. I managed to read an extremely interesting New Yorker article on AI. Cannot figure out how to sen it to you, here is the title. .Will the Humanities Survive Artificial Intelligence. Maybe not as we’ve known them But, in the ruins of the old curriculum. Something vivid is stirring by Graham Burnett. The article is endless. The author an esteemed professor is not a good writer because professors try to sound super smart and incomprehensible – my humble opinion. But there are one or two tidbits in the midst of it. How strange and utterly delightful to hear from you in an email.
He: AI can be a both a bone or a bane for humanity. But in the hands of capitalists, especially in nations where they dominate the politicians and the public space, there is a propensity to AL to be used in destructive ways. But when used responsibly, it can have huge positive impact on society, in making things more accessible to society at large, especially the poor. Think of how electricity and even the washing machine, though we may take it for granted, has transformed the lives of humans, even those at the bottom rung of society (to date, 80% of humanity even poor people have some access to electricity which facilitates them into modern life). This is a remarkable achievement, thanks to technology made accessible to all. I wrote about it in my article for the Bangkok Post. Check it out: https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1939412/why-is-the-world-economy-slowing-
I recommend the reading of this article to each and every one of you. The article concludes in this fashion:
“Entrepreneurship will become a thing of the past, as the creation of value will be the work of robots. The sector of the future will be that of the humanities—those which preserve our humanity in a highly digitalized world, such as nursing homes, nurseries and inter-faith institutions. And perhaps, by that time, the mass majority can finally be emancipated and contribute value to the next civilization.”
Believe this, or not, I do not constantly sit at my computer or on my phone in my stay apartment conversing with my Malaysian friends. I do venture out. An absolute necessity when one needs professional assistance. I did – my teeth required the services of a dentist for the recommended six month cleaning. I had visited Skye Dental months ago and was SO impressed with Dr. Feliciayi – not only for her professional competence but how she had weathered COVID. She could not practice during that time. What did she do instead?? She wrote a children’s book, How to Fight Tooth Bugs. I purchased the delightful well-illustrated book, but had given it to a young girl I had met at Lexis Suites, hoping it would inspire her. No idea if it did or not as her mother terminated correspondence. I went back for my second Malaysian teeth cleaning with a three prong mission: teeth cleaning, book purchase and to visit this woman who inspired me. She remembered me, saying that she had suddenly thought of me the prior week and was so pleased to see my name on the patient roster. She gave me the book, and a prior one, The Secret Of Tooth Fairy Land, her first which enabled the better illustrated, hard cover book. We had the greatest visit. I told her how much she inspired me, she told me I much I inspired her. We both endured many hardships to achieve what many think is an easy, protected, remunerative life style. We both arrived at our present station in life with our own hard work – no assistance from others. When covid struck, rather than curl up in self pity and laziness, she found within herself a new resource, a playful part of her that she could indulge. Anyway I cannot wait until my teeth get dirty again, so I can go back and see her.
Briefly back to the faith, and the practice of digging deep within oneself to find new hope and undiscovered resources.
A footnote, perhaps the only footnote, was found in my tiny paperback Quran purchased from a second hand book store in Edmonton, probably two years ago. The Quran, to be pictured was purchased for a mere $5.00 Canadian.
“The wonderful system of rain on the earth, the resulting growth of greenery and the preparations for harvesting, all these events have countless meaningful lessons in them. But, these lessons are available only to those who by nature go deep into things. Those who keep their natural capabilities alive and by utilizing them give deep consideration to the things of the world, will have their minds filled with the deep realization (mar’rifah) of God.”
I was at once moved, and startled, to read this. Just as not all men are created equal, (no matter what the US Constitution may claim) nor are all Muslims created equal. Some of us are gifted with the ability to keep our natural capabilities alive, accompanied by the motivation to do so. Then we are further gifted with having our “minds filled with the deep realization of God.”
Photos of Dr. Feliciayi”s books, and my humble well worn Quran. Also the reel that sparked the exchange between us all.
