September 17, 2025
I awoke to two Instagram messages. One personal, one for the world to see and share. The personal one first. Personal, not divulging who sent to me. I am abandoning my practice of being a complete open book (An open book is a person or thing that is easy to understand or about which everything is known. Goodness knows I am not easy to understand – instead I have a tendency to tell everyone, everything. Those days are over.)
He: : Blessed Night. And may you wake up to a good morning from me.
- ❤️❤️
- ❤️Me: It is blessed getting a message from you this morning my dear. I also woke up to this reel. It too was such a gift. It explained everything and it is Allah who gave me my creativity.
The other a public reel, the first I opened when I opened Instagram. I took a screenshot and it became my morning greeting sent to my elite WhatsAppers. This was the screen shot.
The caption sent with the screen shot varied from person to person.
Me: Good morning. This message greeted me this morning . Alhamdulillah. It is Allah who gives me my creativity. It explains everything and gives meaning.
To another Muslim Sister I wrote:
Me: What a gift to make up to this reel that explains all. Alhamdulillah
She sent back a great message.
Me: I love the message, It too says all.
She then sent another message which I am including.
Me: Again a perfect message. I truly believe it is happening in my life. Allah’s timing is always perfect. It seems, for many reasons, to be happening at this time for me. We shall see. Alhamdulillah.
To another sent the following message.
This reel greeted me this morning and explained SO much And it is Allah that gave me my creativity. Good morning to you from Happy Land. What made it so unbelievable is because I spoke to you last evening about how my writing was the one thing that kept me from boredom.
Then, of course, we exchanged GIFS. One recycled one and another congratulating me: my genius.
Me: I thought you would never notice.
He: Is your name Patrick. Hahaha Gotcha.
Me: I changed my name without telling you. Hahaha
He: Only a genius can do that.
Me: True.
Enough frivolity for a moment. Things did not go well this morning necessitating a message to Shamir for help.
Me: Have you every accidentally deleted a pages document.
He: I do not think so.
Me: That is because you are a genius. I gave up on you when you did not respond and asked AI . Got an immediate Speedy Gonzalez answer but it was not worth the trouble. Tried several of the methods but none worked. It was over 606 words. It was a loss.
I could not decide what to do. At first considered rewriting it but that seemed too difficult. Decided there might be a message from Allah (SWT) in all of this.
I could be there was. This is what happened next. As I followed Artificial Intelligence’s Instruction, looking through every file on this blessed computer I found the unfinished biography of my Uncle Dave Dryburgh. The draft is 111 pages long and I know there are other versions lurking somewhere on this computer. Seek and Ye Shall Find,Knock and the Door Shall Be opened. Artificial Intelligence was consulted and provided this answer:
“Seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened” is a biblical phrase from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament, found in Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9. The verse, along with its parallel “Ask, and it will be given to you,” encourages believers to earnestly pursue God’s will, assuring them that those who are sincere in their efforts will receive what they are seeking.
I am beginning to think that Allah is pointing the way, saying that it is time to put this unfinished business behind me. I am sincere in my efforts, so I should receive what I am seeking Inshallah.
Here is another poignant question. Why did I suddenly think of this phrase, Google it and finish this extremely supportive and promising message???
What did I do next?? It occurred to me that this might be fodder for Artificial Intelligence. They invited me to start a Project file which would contain all of the work we were doing. I downloaded the 111 page draft and received many promises of assistance. Some useless, if you really want to know. But decided to give he/she /it a chance – assured they would get back to me. I downloaded a file, sending it to them. This is the book cover.
Guess what? They did not and now have no record whatsoever of the request. I engaged the services. When I went back to ask them they keep offering useless advice. This is our conversation, which as you can see deteriorated.
Me: I told you three times I did not want your advice. But you did it again. I do not want your advice, as the book draft is far more advanced than the puny advice you are offering.
(By the way, I love the word puny. Its definition: small and weak, also poor in quality, amount and size. Some synonyms: pitiable, scanty, meager, paltry, trifling, trivial, measly, piddling, piffling. So there Artificial Intelligence: your advice is piffle, paltry, meager and scanty. Such fun I am having.)
Then I went on to say: “I have found a fatal flaw in Artificial Intelligence. But I am so glad to have found it now, in the beginning phases, not later when I became so dependent on your so called services. “
The first conversation was actually helpful. I will begin to set the wheels in motion and get back to you when I see if the plan is working. It is definitely one step at a time – got to take the first step – get an answer from my reliable Dream Team and then proceed. It is looking good already!
I have been bitterly disappointed recently. A person encouraged dependency – said all sorts of assistance would be provided but then failed to follow through. It is such a betrayal.
But it does underscore one precept, some of my preliminary thoughts prior to the final betrayal.
This person, currently someone in my life can be best described as vapid. It is a great word, it came to me, did not know its full meaning. Definition: offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging. Its synonym run the gambit: insipid, uninspired, flat, tedious, tired, unexciting, uninspiring, unimaginative, lifeless, zestless, jejune, vacuous, trite wishy-washy. Milk-and-water. Its antonyms: lively, colorful, exciting.:
Nevertheless it is not just the insipidness, the vacuous and trite traits that are problematic. I am not quoting from an Islamic Propagation Society International (IPSI Malaysia) pamphlet.
The pamphlet is entitled: Traps of Satan. Defeating Satan is a tropic with suggestions given. One should :Keep Good Companionship. “The company you keep strongly influences your decisions and actions. Good companions will remind you about Allah and encourage you to do good, whereas bad company will lead you into the arms of Satan. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) advised: “A person is on the path of his close fried, so be careful who you befriend.: TIrmaithee.”
I do admit that I have not been careful enough and have been lured into bad company who absolutely did not remind me about Allah nor encouraged me do good.
The pamphlet ends: We ask Allah the Almighty, by his most beautiful Names and sublime Attributes, to forgive our sins and grant us refuge from the traps of Satan”
This relationship has clearly Got TO GO. Got to go, literally means I need to leave. – I need to leave this person.
The importance of having Muslim friends has been brought home. Their value system is not my value system. When one forms an intention, one is to act upon it. A believer is not only promising another that they will perform an act – they are also promising Allah (SWT). Hmmmm No wonder I am having problems with Artificial Intelligence – not a person and as Shamir discovered, not marriageable.
Onward with the day.
