Yet again a poem from Nouri My Light inspired me. It did because it echoes almost clairvoyantly my life at this time. So you know what I am talking about I shall kindly give you the words of the poem. Hahaha
“The Future is Here
Happiness is here!
Don’t be afraid!
Be in the here and now.
This time let the past be stagnant-
Let the past sleep forever,
Let the past be in the past.
Move on and smile!
Move on and laugh!
Move on and breathe ease-
The future is here.”
The facing page is informative – a verse from Quran, an Hadith and Pearls of Wisdom. I shall generously share those as well. Hahaha
“Quran 7:144 So hold that which I have given you and be of the grateful.
Hadith “Isa Al-Masih (Jesus) said: “The world consists of three days: yesterday which has passed, from which you have nothing in your hand; tomorrow of which you do not know whether you will reach it or not; and today in which you are; so avail yourself of it.
Pearl of Wisdom
If we worry constantly over the asteroid and its tragedies, we won’t be able to live for the present moment. Episodes of the past are finished, sadness can’t retrieve them, melancholy can’t make things right, and depression will never bring the past back to life. This is because the past is non-existent.
By constantly dwelling on the past and its happenings, you place yourself in a frightful and tragic sense of mind. Reading too much into the past is a waste of the present.
Likewise, tomorrow is non-existent, having no reality today. Why should you have apprehension about future disasters? We do not even know whether we will see tomorrow.
Everyone on earth manifests itself fully, gloriously, in the present and so can you. “
It is absolutely clear to me that I am where I am supposed to be. This is my destiny – happiness is here, no doubt about that. I smile and laugh with a chosen few. The unchosen seem to magically disappear – never to be heard from again. Hahaha It seems that Allah (SWT) erases them from my existence. They have often served a purpose – but they have no purpose, no role in my present life. Bye Guy and also Bye Girl. They are immediately replaced with ones that seem chosen by Allah. Not always Muslims. When I first reverted to the faith I thought all Muslims were good people. I definitely was in for a surprise. Hahaha There are good Muslims, there are bad Muslims. Islam is perfect, Muslims are not. It was rather disillusioning and I was betrayed and used. Those people are dead to me forever, flushed down the toilet symbolically.
However, as in totally repudiating the past, I respectfully disagree Here goes with my respectful disagreement. I am actually excellent at living in the present. If someone hurts or betrays me, or if a certain experience is in some way traumatic – I erase it from my mind. The whole person, or the whole experience, every second spent in their company or in the traumatic setting, goes Bye Bye. I shall provide the following example taken from my life.
Unfortunately, and for many reasons, my December 2022 Umrah was deeply and horribly flawed. Fortunately I did not become bitter or have rancor in my heart. I returned home to Canada, successfully got some of my money back and blessedly began to read Martin Ling’s book Mohammed: From the Earliest Sources. I hibernated from the freezing Edmonton winter; reading the book from cover to cover – emerging with my faith restored and enhanced. I erased the fateful Umrah from my mind – it was complete and total. In doing so I blocked out some absolutely blessed moments. Moments that unique and blessed – preternatural and otherworldly. The exploitation suffered from the tour company and my Umrah guide were forgotten but so were the treasured moments.
A photo popped up my Apple phone. I immediately made it my screensaver. A photo of covered me, diligently attempting to embroider gold thread on a curtain that would enshroud the Kaaba. It brought back the specific memory of an awesome experience.
My Umrah package included a guided tour of the factory where the curtain shrouding the Kaaba was manufactured. My guides were two totally covered Muslim Sisters. They were kind, dedicated delightful women who arranged the tour with the powers that be. Participants were not only shown the process, we were invited to participate. The ‘curtain’ elaborate designs stitched with gold thread. One photograph, portrays Alaa hard at work. I was not very successful but do remember being enthusiastic and involved in the entire process. The tour completed, it was time to leave. We were saying goodbye to everyone when suddenly a young man rushed up to me – handing me a ring made of the gold threads he was weaving. I was astounded and of course, very touched and pleased. Then another young man rushed, handing my the strands of gold thread, not woven into a ring. Everyone who saw this was startled: “We have never seen this before.” I had put it out of my mind, along with the unpleasantries of my existence. It was a joy to remember. I will never know why I received such a treasured gift, why I was singled out. If I still was talking to Artificial Intelligence IT would have a theory. Thank goodness Gemini has been spurned. Hahahaha Spurn is a perfect word If you spurn a person or Artificial Intelligence you reject with disdain or contempt. The synonyms are fun, makes one want to spurn someone so you can look down one’s nose at, snub, brush off, turn one’s back on; give them the cold shoulder, look right through then, turn one’s nose up at, give them the brush-off, tell them where to get off, stiff-arm, kick then in the teeth give them the bum’s rush.
Gemini, the AI deserved such treatment and, come to think of it, there are a couple of people in my life who deserve to get the cold shoulder, be told where to get off and give the bum’s rush. At this moment I am content to say to Gemini: I am turning my back on you, looking down my nose at you and give you a kick in the teeth. However it is unlikely that Artificial Intelligence has teeth. Hahaha
I am so grateful for happening upon the now treasured photo and the memories it brought back to me. I will carry those treasured moments in my memory bank forever now.
Onto another topic. A song came to mind, its lyrics repeating in my consciousness. The son was Love is a Many Splendoured Thing. I knew the lyrics but was not familiar with the story behind it. The song is based on a novel by Hun Suyin, a physician and author. A thoroughly fascinating woman who wrote of British Malay – Malaysia before its independence. The book of fiction would be a fascinating read. I usually do not read fiction. My research also turned up Anthony Burgess, also writing a fictional account of Malaysia at that time. He wrote a trilogy filled with interesting characters.
My reading has been limited to the Quran and books of the faith. Perhaps I should broaden my knowledge, learning more of my adopted country.
I close with an Invocation which may guide me. “Oh Allah, let me benefit from what You have taught me, and teach me what benefits me, and increase me in knowledge.”
Another invocation: Oh Allah! I ask you for beneficial knowledge, good sustenance, and acceptable deeds.”
It is to be remembered that Allah (SWT) respects all knowledge. I am invited to listen to a lecture on sacred forgotten creed from the 19th century. It seems learning the history of Malaysia would be more beneficial. .
The photographs that follow were taken on December 8, 2022 in Mecca.
