I remain living in Lyf for a few more days. Therefore, o sunrise photos to begin both my day and the day of others. Rather impulsively looked back at photos from a year ago and hit pay direct as they say. Strange expression that, AI is about to tell us what it means.
AI Overview “Hit pay dirt” is an informal idiom, primarily used in American English, meaning to experience sudden success, especially in finding something valuable or making a lot of money. It originates from the 1850s gold rush era when miners would strike gold or other valuable minerals while digging.
The sudden success was a colorful photo communicated to my WhatsApp folks with the following message.
“Good morning. This colorful photo from a year ago. I was in Bali, my first visa run.
I was staying at the Bali Hilton Resort, enrolled in a cooking class. I was the only enrollee, beginning the class in the morning going to the fish market. It was incredible, such vibrancy, such color, such fun, such a privilege. Not received any responses as yet. I am an early riser. Many of my WhatsApp folk are not Muslims. This brings concern which was alleviated by the early morning reading from Nurturing Emotional Intelligence. I am in the habit of reading a few pages every morning. I am happy to report that I am on page 118 – page 292 will mark the conclusion.
This morning’s reading concentrated on love., beginning with a definition.
“Love is defined by Miriam-Webster as “strong affection for another, arising out of kinship ties warm attachment, enthusiasm or devotion to the objector love. There are various types of love that we experience if varying intensities. For instance, we may experience for our spouse in a different way which is different than our love for parents, children, relatives or material things. The Greeks had four words to express different kinds of love; story for kinship love, philia for friendship, eros for romantic and sexual love and agape for divine love. (Pp. 112)
The book immediately began focusing on Loving Allah.
“These different kinds of love are a blessing and test from Allah and the key requirement is that we don’t let the love for anyone or anything exceed our love for Allah and his Messenger and our obedience to them. “
The book goes on to quote an ayah adding this explanation.
“Love for these things may not be evil in and of themselves, but when this earthly love exceeds one’s love for Allah, resulting in disobedience to his commandments, then it becomes blameworthy. Hence the actualization of one’s love for the Beloved —Allah, the Almighty—is demonstrated by love for the acts and people that Allah loves and abstaining from those the Beloved dislikes. “
This definitely is logical, making perfect sense —the joy of the Islamic Faith.
Just now received my first response of the morning – from Shamir which was unusual as he is usually a slow responder and late riser. Of course I responded
Me: Wow!! You are awake early. I am impressed. You will be happy to know that I have written 485 words. Did some early reading from my Emotional Intelligence book learning with great relief that it is okay for me to have you as a friend even though you are not a Spiritual Muslim. Some exceptions can be made – you are one.
An exception is a person or thing that is excluded from a general statement or does not follow a rule: Shamir is an anomaly, irregularity, deviation, quirk, peculiarity, abnormality, oddity, misfit, a freak. I am sure he will be happy to hear that. Hahahah
Then Alice sent a good morning GIF.
MeL Decidedly cute good morning greeting.
She: I love penguins.
Me: Me too they are my favorites.
Returning to the love of Allah. I have seen over the past four (almost five years) since I became a Muslim that this primary obligation, loving Allah more than anybody or anything is never understood by nonbelievers and rarely by Muslims. This is how it is supposed to work. I love Allah, he/she/it loves Allah – our love for one another comes from that. Allah is key, an essential element.
“Furthermore, the Prophet has advised: “Do not befriend except a a good believer and do not share your food except with a pious person. “ The interpreter of this hadith said, “ What is meant is that one should not befriend the non-Muslims or the hypocrites, as befriending them affects the religion badly. (Of course, if one’s intention is to befriend an open-minded non-Muslim to bring them closer to Islam, then that is encouraged.”
I was incredibly relieved to read that. I have befriended non Muslims but they are open-minded and seem to be coming closer to Islam. In the past I did have a disastrous experience with a a hypocrite although I did not realize it at the time. I was bamboozled which is to fool or cheat someone. Some colorful synonyms are: deceive, delude, dupe, outwit, outmaneuver, beguile; con, pull a fast one on, pull the wool over someone’s eyes, take for a ride, lead up the garden path, spoof, give someone a bum steer.
Hypocrites say the right things but have no intention to honor their promises. The most often say they love Allah but they lie. It was by coincidence that I found a blog from April 26, 2024 . This is what I said at the time. I spoke of an intention.
“Now, onto more important things which are relevant and material. This an Instagram post from Dr. Raniawaad (dr.raniaawaad)
“Some souls are just so beloved by Allah that you can feel it when you meet them. It’s like an unexplainable ease, comfort, and love that surrounds them. Perhaps it’s because the angels themselves witness God’s love for them. And so, it’s no wonder that even here on earth, we can’t help but love them too. May Allah grant us the opportunity to experience such divine love and connection, especially during the blessed last 10 nights of Ramadan. Ameen.”
My goal, my dream, my ambition, is to be one of those souls, that are so beloved by Allah (SWT). That is my hope as Eid draws near.”
This causes me to wince as the hypocrite reappeared in my life the day after 2024 Eid and his deadly influence cased me to lose sight of my intention to be profoundly beloved by Allah.
It is manifestly important for me focus on experiencing divine love and connection, rather than the fleeting and temporary love found in this fleeting world.
It is, therefore, with some trepidation I now quote from the most recent Blog Breakdown from Nesh. The Instagram post features the two photographs which accompanied the blog.
Faith, Fossils and a Found Family
How a watch and a Muslim rosary and a would-be granddaughter shaped the day. No sunrise over the sea today, just a Fossil watch on my wrist, paired with the Muslim rosary. Fatima once placed in my hands, a gift, a reminder, a way to keep Allah’s names close. That simple pairing carried me through a day that wove together so many threads, the quiet refuge Allah promises from envy, a lunch with Joy and a dinner with my ‘surrogate’ granddaughter Laney, whose law school dreams I have committed to help make real. Because family isn’t always the one you’re born into. Sometimes it’s the one Allah chooses for you, and the one you choose right back”
You see, my Contact Manager Nesh is not a Muslim. Goodness knows he is open minded and can capture the essence of what I write making my words so enticing, soreadable. The Dream Team, as we call ourselves will be meeting today at 2. Shamir, Nesh and myself. I am outnumbered but I have Allah on my side. Look at the history of the Faith. When one has Allah one prevails.
Nesh is making a difference. Instagram informed me that in the last week I received 3.4K views.
I did, however, make contributions on my own. I responded to a reel speaking of Khadijah, which won 44 Likes. This is what I wrote;
“She is absolutely essential and pivotal to the Islamic Faith Her nurturing and support of her husband gave him the courage, the drive and the confidence to become the Messenger. The reel may be found at https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM-z_r7xvBW/?igsh=emtpNTlrbGd1ZDhw
I have decided to include other photographs of colorful Bali taken during my first visa run in 2024.
