Quotes to Note

"There is no such thing as coincidence, just the illusion of coincidence itself"
V for Vendetta

"But if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror."
V for Vendetta

Evey Hammond:" You're getting back at them for what they did to her. And to you."
V: "What was done to me created me. It is the basic principle of the universe, that each action will have an equal and opposing reaction."
Evey: "Is that how you see it? Like an equation?"
V: "What was done to me was monstrous."
Evey Hammond: "And they created a monster."
V for Vendetta

Evey Hammond: "Artists use lies to tell the truth. Politicians use them to cover it up."
V for Vendetta

V: "There is no certainty, only opportunity."
V for Vendetta
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"Corruption charges. Corruption? Corruption ain't nothing more than government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulation. That's Milton Friedman. He got a goddamn Nobel Prize. We have laws against it precisely so we can get away with it. Corruption is our protection. Corruption is what keeps us safe and warm. Corruption is why you and I are here in the white-hot center of things instead of fighting each other for scraps of meat out there in the streets. Corruption... is why we win." — Danny D to Bennett
Syrianna

"When a country has five percent of the world's population but spends fifty percent of the world's military spending, that country's persuasive power is in decline." - Prince Nasir speaking of the United States
Syrianna

Snap!

“The great scholars of the age split hairs on all manner of sciences. They know perfectly and have a complete comprehension of those matters which do not concern them. But as for what is truly of moment and touches a man more closely than all else, namely his own self, this your great scholar does not know.”

—Rumi

Remember, remember, the fifth of November...

I don't usually write about my daily life. Aside from it being dull and boring I really don't see the benefit in pointing out my daily yackety-yak. So why am I still talking about it? Good point.

So I watched two movies this past weekend. The first one, Inside Man, started with an Indian song called "Chaiyah Chaiyah," which if I recall correctly had something to do with Sharukh Khan horsing around atop a moving train. At first, I thought I was in the wrong theatre; then I thought I should apologize to my husband for spitting my coke/popcorn medley in his face, but why spoil him, right? Back to the movie, they played an entire Indian song! The movie was good too. Go Spike Lee! I also enjoyed the bit about the Sikh guy being mistaken for an Arab and the rant that followed thereafter, which included phrases like 'Random selection my arse' ' I'm not Arab.' In response to which one of the African American cop blurts out: At least you can get a cab. LOL! Priceless.

Lesson Learned: I'm not exclusive in my trials. There are plenty of others going through the same - if not worse - ordeals.

Second movie, V for Vendetta, started with this intro, which I have been practicing in front of a mirror:
(And yes it is because I mix my V's with my W’s. Go ahead, laugh all you want!)

This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V. (V's introduction of himself to Evey)

And yes, he was like a crazy person. The movie was interesting but whats even more fascinating to me is that I understood a lot of the undertones because of the DAILY SHOW. If you're an avid fan like myself, you know what I'm talking about. Here's an example:

V for Vendetta:
V: Behind this mask is a man, and behind this man is an idea. And ideas are bulletproof.

Daily Show:
When Mr. Stewart asked Mr. Colbert for his take on whether Saddam was dead or alive, the correspondent answered, "One thing is certain: If Saddam is dead, it greatly reduces his ability to control Iraq."

But wouldn't his death end his control entirely? asked Mr. Stewart.

Not necessarily, argued Mr. Colbert: "When this man appears in public no one is sure it's actually him, and yet he's held an iron grip on power since 1979 — 24 years of brutal dictatorship, all while only maybe existing.

"The point is we can kill Saddam Hussein but we won't win the war until we kill the idea of Saddam Hussein. So what we need to do is develop bombs that kill ideas."

Lesson Learned: More and more people should watch The Daily Show.

I enjoyed the movie - Mr. Smith as V was super- but i don’t agree with its message. There were a lot of interesting ideas in this movie - it was more philosophical than action-packed - but im not sure I agree with such violent means to get your point across, as in the real world that kind of behavior only strengthens those already in power.

Another Must See Blog:

I know I'm a loser but I'm really excited about working with the Arabic Verb Chart. It is fun to create bigger chunks of words from just three root letters, mainly because I already know the words in Urdu -- but now I know what they mean. Woo, I don't have a life.

In any case, Mr. Gem here has a wonderful blog that better illustrates what I'm trying to convey: Arabic Gems

Here's an Excerpt:
"One of phenomena that is immediately noticed among learners of Arabic is that its lexicon resembles a tree wherein some words are built on and branch out from others that usually take the form of tri-consonantal roots. This etymological phenomenon in Arabic is known as al-Ishtiqaaq and there are various theories regarding the complexity of it; this post will cover the aspect that all the scholars of Arabic agree upon completely.

The most well-known example in this is the case of the root letters jeem-noon ج-ن, the general meaning of which indicates something that is concealed or hidden to the eye. From this root branch out the words:

jinn جِنٌّ referring to the other form of creation that share the world with us whom are concealed from our sight
junnah جُنَّةٌ referring to a shield, for it conceals parts of the user from the sight of others
janeen جنين referring to a fetus, which is concealed in the womb
the verb ajanna أَجَنَّ referring to the act of concealment, as in the phrase ajannahu al-laylu أجنَّهُ الليلُ meaning 'he was concealed by [the darkness of] the night.'"

A tree, sent down from above.

The Language of Love

" [...] To illustrate his point, Shaykh Muhammad narrated the following story.

Rabi’a Al-Adawiya fell ill and Hasan Al-Basri, Shaqiq Al-Balkhi and Malik ibn Dinar, may Allah be pleased with them all, visited her.

Al-Basri said to her: None is sincere in his claim to love God unless he patiently “endures” the blows of his Lord.

Rabi’a: This sounds like egoism.

Shaqiq: None is sincere in his claim to love God unless he gives “thanks” for the blows of his Lord.

Rabi’a praised this but felt that there must be better.

Malik: None is sincere in his claim to love God unless he “delights” in the blows of his Lord.

But Rabi’a was not satisfied with this state either. She said it needed to be improved. So they asked her to speak.

Rabi’a: None is sincere in his claim to love God unless he “forgets” the blows in beholding his Lord.

Shaykh Muhammad pointed out that “enduring” entails remembering, not only the blows, but also the pain behind the blows. Giving “thanks” and “delighting” are also about remembering while Rabi’a Al-Adawiya was teaching that “before your Lord, you should not remember anything.”

Nazim Baksh
Read the full article here.

A Conversation on Good and Evil.

A Conversation on Good and Evil.

With William Chittick, Sachiko Murata, Kabir Helminski.

Threshold Society Annual Gathering, August 2001

Sayyiduna Ali (ra)

"Your word is dependent on you until you utter it, but once you utter it, you will be dependent on it."

"Four things are most difficult to achieve: To forgive when angry, to be forebearing in the face of oppression, to be generous in times of scarcity and to be abstinent when alone."

The Book Of Character

Doh!

I feel kind of foolish. I had only seen the first Medinah book. Doh!
There is actually more than one(four to be exact)available online. They get more intense with each volume. You can find them here:

Medinah Islamic University
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
Book 4

Another Great Website...

Seeker After Truth
A lot of interesting articles and stories.

I love this story. My mama used to tell it to me (slightly different version) when i was being cranky with others: Musa & The Shepherd
By Mojdeh Bayat & Mohammad Ali Jamnia

The Book Foundation

Do check out this excellent website:The Book Foundation

Samples of Programs in Development (available for downloading/viewing)
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The Fragrance of Faith"...this special teaching I refer to is a learning attained by contemplation on stories and verses. This simple method of teaching and learning is found in many traditions. The profoundest truth is sometimes best expressed by a teaching story or sacred verse that illuminates. Islamic mystics make prolific use of this technique."

The Book of Character"...character development, then, is the process of unpacking what God has provided us for our journey through this world, and into the next. Various experiences during this life may stamp us and mold our character. But since all experiences ultimately come from God, everything we encounter in this life is part of God’s knowledge of the character He has stamped us with, in eternity, before we came into this world."

Lights of the Qur'an
"... a sourcebook of Quranic selections and accompanying interpretations. These selections were made, above all, to highlight the fundamental spiritual principles contained in the Qur’an. If you are new to the Qur’an, we hope that this book will provide a balanced view of the Heart of the Qur’an. If you are already a student of the Qur’an, we hope that these selections will perhaps awaken a new appreciation for the universal spiritual wisdom of the Book."

The Book Foundation
__________________________________________

The Book Foundation is a non-profit charitable company in the United Kingdom. Its essential mission is to bring to light the universal message of Islam as revealed in the Holy Qur'an and the lived example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him), as well as the finest elements of the Islamic tradition. Its sphere of operation embraces curriculum development, creative arts sponsorship, and the publication of works which bring to light its aims, including The Message of the Qur'an by Muhammad Asad and translations of this work into other languages.

Contact Us: Jeremy Henzell-Thomas -- Kabir Helminski
©2002-2003 The Book Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Resources for Arabic Language (Mostly Classical)

History:
Arabic in the Pre-Islamic Period
The Development of Classical Arabic

General Info:
Arabic Grammar
Arabic Wiki

Online Courses/Material:
Fundamentals of Classical Arabic
The Fundamentals of Classical Arabic is based on a series of books that help students learn the difficult subject of Arabic verb conjugation and grammar. This classroom, based on volume one of the book series, provides a framework for studying the Arabic language, introduces Arabic word patterns, and covers the essentials of conjugating common verb and noun forms. The text of each chapter is provided in PDF format and the accompanying audio is available for online streaming or download.

ARABIC LANGUAGE COURSE

ARABIC READING TUTORIAL

APPENDIX B: A BRIEF JOURNEY THROUGH ARABIC GRAMMAR

A Hundred and One Rules

Arabic Grammar Lnaguage Guide

Quran Study:
Quran Dictionary
Daily Recitations
Tools for Quranic Study
Burhan
Quran


Verb Stuff:
Arabic Verbs
Verb Forms
Acon Verb Generator
Arabic Verbs
Conjugated Arbic Verbs
Project Root List


Dictionary/Grammar:
Arabic dictionaries
Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon
Wright Arabic Grammar Vol 1
Wright Arabic
GrammarVol 2

Misc:
Speak Arabic
The Arabic Alphabet
Learn Arabic Forum (Islamic Network)
E mail in Arabic

Check For sample class: http://www.shariahprogram.ca/
Online Arabic Lessons: Audio lecture on advanced Arabic morphology
Online Arabic Lessons: Audio lecture of Arabic grammar classes

English Words from Arabic
Fun With Arabic

aConcorde
Arabic Morphological Analysis and Generation
Arabic Downloads


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Some of the links lifted from the following blogs:
H
Arabic Gems
Billo in Fort Mac

Love's Universe

The School of Love
"We are all students in the school of love, although it may take us a long time and much suffering to admit this fact. Something obstinately refuses to see the obvious. Its amazing how stubborn and slow we are, and how often we still forget. We forget whenever we think ourselves more important than others, whenever we see our own desires and goals as more important than the feelings and well-being of those we love. We forget whenever we blame others for what we ourselves have been guilty of. We forget whenever we lose sight of the fact that in this school of love it is love that we all are trying to learn.

Yunus Emre, the first and greatest Turkish Sufi poet, says, "Let us master this science and read this book of love. God instructs; Love is His school."

We have all been failures in love. This is our conscious starting point. Only a saint is an expert and complete lover, because only a saint has been freed by God of what stands in the way of love.

We can practice meditation and seek spiritual knowledge for years and still overlook the central importance of love. One of the subtlest forms of egoism is when we engage ourselves in a practice to be more spiritual than others, when we turn spirituality into an arena for our ambition. But loves eventually forgives even that.

I do not really know if this modern world is further from the truth than many civilizations that have preceded it. Yet so much of what occupies our attention is a fiction, and through these fictions we live a life of delusion, of separation, of selfishness, of loneliness. Behind our sadness and anxiety is a simple lack of love, which translates into a lack of meaning and purpose.

Unless we look with the eyes of love we cannot see things as they are. We have searched for love in all the wrong places: in building ourselves up, in making ourselves more special, more perfect, more powerful. Love's substitutes are driving the world. We strive after anything but love, because love is so close we overlook it.

One of the most painful experiences for any person is recognizing that most human beings take themselves as the exclusive goal and center of their thoughts, feelings, and activities. It can be utterly terrifying for a sensitive soul to live in a world where everyone is so busy achieving their own goals and interests that real human needs are pushed aside or trampled in the process.

For most people, even "love" is primarily a form of desire, preference, or obsession; love, in other words, has been confused with self-gratification. And for most people "spirituality" is reduced to a way of feeling good about themselves. The diseases of self, once at least partially mitigated by the vaccinations of faith, are becoming more rampant. This self-centered way of living and being is exactly the "sin" that all authentic traditions of spirituality would save us from. Even the notion of spiritual "health"-- as a self-giving and an awareness of a suprapersonal Center beyond one's ego--is becoming suspect.

It doesn't matter what we have accomplished, what recognition we have received, what we own, there is nothing as sweet as loving--not necessarily being loved--but just loving. The more we love--the more people, the more manifestations of life we love--the richer we are. Nothing is more beautiful or more sacred than the impulse of love we feel for a friend, a child, a parent, a partner. Nothing would be sweeter than to be able to love everywhere and always.

Rumi has said, "Whatever I have said about love, when love comes, I am ashamed to speak." At the same time, if Love is the essential power within and behind this universe and our inner life, no subject has greater precedence. C.G. Jung said as much in his last book:

I might, as many before me have attempted to do, venture an approach to this daemon, whose range of activity extends from the endless spaces of the heavens to the dark abysses of hell; but I falter before the task of finding language which might adequately express the incalculable paradoxes of love. Eros is a kosmogonos, a creator and father-mother of all higher consciousness. . . . Whatever the learned interpretation may be of the sentence "God is love," the words affirm the complexio oppositorum of the Godhead. In my medical experience as well as in my own life I have again and again been faced with the mystery of love, and have never been able to explain what it is. . . . No language is adequate to this paradox. Whatever one can say, no words express the whole. To speak of partial aspects is always to say too much or too little, for only the whole is meaningful. Love "bears all things" and "endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7). These words say all there is to be said; nothing can be added to them for we are in the deepest sense the victims and the instruments of cosmogonic "love." . . . Man can try to name love, showering upon it all the names at his command, and still he will involve himself in endless self-deceptions. If he possesses a grain of wisdom, he will lay down his arms and name the unknown by the more unknown. . . that is, by the name of God.

C.G.Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections
Although a mind as great as Jung's can assert that love is a complete, unknowable mystery, I am convinced that there is a knowledge of love, that it desperately needs to be shared, and that in fact no knowledge is more valuable and essential.

It may be that failure in any field is essentially a failure of love. In the nineteenth century, for instance, when progressive psychiatry consisted of the surgical removal of sexual organs or lobes of the brain, organs that were believed to contribute to the moral illness of human beings--this was not only a failure of intelligence, but a failure of love. And in the twentieth century, when mental health was sought through shock therapy, behavior modification, or through the control of prescribed chemicals, it was once again a fixation on the outer, material being, and the overlooking of the requirements of the inner being--again a failure of love.

Likewise, economic systems based purely in outer values, including communism and capitalism, are destined to fail if they do not incorporate at their heart the values of love.

Art, too, must be inspired by love. It degenerates into technique and decoration when it comes into the service of ego or economics.

We are not merely Love's passive instruments; we are its servants. In order to know how to serve, Love needs to be grounded in knowledge.

Love without knowledge is dangerous. With love alone we could burn ourselves and others. With love alone we could become lunatics. In ancient tradition they warn us of the person who is unconsciously "in love." Such a person, it is said in Central Asia, should wear a bell on their ankle to warn others of their state.

Love is such an extraordinary and complex power, and the human being has such a great capacity for love that to dismiss it as an unknowable mystery is like standing in awe before a fire and saying we don't know what this is, how it started. or what to do with it.

Love is both mystery and knowledge. Furthermore, it is a mystery that has spoken to us about Itself in the form of those revelations that have profoundly altered the course and quality of human history. The lives and teachings of Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad have influenced and transformed so many billions of people because they are essentially teachings of love."
Love's Universe

The universe is an expression of love

Every being and thing in creation is set in motion by love

Love is seeking to discover itself

The human being is God's beloved

The Spectrum of Love: Eros, Philos, Agape

Love of our Source
Kabir Helminski

Things that make you go hmm...

Why are Muslims so cranky? Why are Imams so angry? Why are Muslim Women so dry? Why are Muslim Men not Men? (Ooo, that was below the belt). Ok i take it back. i take it all back. but... you know wut im sayin'?

Shouldn't Muslims be the happiest, most content, cheerful, slap me on my left cheek, because this stupid world is ending anyway, type of people? There are no problems for believers, anything and everything is a test, and God is ready to just love us to death! and erm, after death.

THEN WHY OH WHY, are people cranky all the time?

Liberals are mad at conservatives. Sunnis are mad at Shias. Salafis dont like Sufis. Women are mad at men. and other women. Men take out their frustrations on their wives and kids. and if that Man happens to be an imam, he takes it out on the rest of the community. and on and on goes the vicious cycle.

We all spend too much time splitting hairs, playing with LABELS, loving each second of our nonsense-point making non-existence.

I heard, whenever someone insulted Imam Malik, he sent them a tray of fruit, to thank them for shaving off some of his sins. Now he was a HAPPY MUSLIM. Let's hear it for Imam Malik (ra).

When people insulted Prophet Muhammad (saw) he made dua for them anyway. Because HE was a HAPPY MAN. HE was a MAN IN LOVE! Who loved everyone and was created Beloved.

All signs, in all shapes and form, point to one simple truth: Our Human race was created BELOVED. WE are LOVED**. Isn't that reason enough for Muslims to go, Whooooooooopty-doo I don't care what you say to me, or do to me, i wont let you cut in my celebration. I want to celebrate me. I want to celebrate you. I want to celebrate God. (Or be more eloquent by quoting Mr. Ibn Atallah, "Say: 'Allah'
then leave them plunging in their games." )

Lets just all have a party and rejoice in celebration.

But noooo, we rather pick on each other. Tell each other how wrong we are in the way we worship, or the group we affiliate with because we're just too cranky. boo-hoo.

Gone are the models of Men and Women whose presence - not their unstoppable tongues- brought masses to swoon while longing for God.

God, remember Him? The One Who Created us with love, and to whom we shall return? Yeah, im sure He's going to give all of us a nice cookie for spending most of our life being cranky and mean to those HE Loves.

Good Job!

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**Say: if you love God, follow me and God will love you."(Q. 3:31)

"…He will produce people whom He loves and who love Him." (Q. 5:54)

Quotes to Note

The frog does not drink up the pond in which it lives. Native American Proverb

Man sould not destroy what he can not create. Dr. Ruth Kiew

... The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.
(Coleho)

Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love. (Rumi)

Excerpt from "The Illuminated Prayer."

God is a power.

The power becomes light.

The light becomes vibration.

The vibration becomes sound.

The sound becomes word.

The word becomes language.

The language becomes scripture.

Like that

Return to the Source.

- Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.

Teachers and Parents...

We know that God does not burden a soul beyond its capacity; that we can only save ourselves in the long run – and ultimately we stand bare and alone in front of our Lord on the Day Of Reckoning.

Keeping that in mind when one begins to dissect relationships, the weirdest one of them all has to be the one between a parent and her child. As parents we might aid in the formation of the physical and genetic makeup of our baby, but what ‘exactly’ connects us to the soul that comes into the hollow body?

Bearing children is a weird phenomenon. First of all, it must be really weird to look at your newborns visage - see your own nose, hands, and eyes- yet see a completely alien soul look back at you with wonder. Second of all, the false sense of security that you somehow control another soul’s density can’t be good for the way in which you treat/raise your child.

That being said, I can’t pretend to be an expert as I am neither a scholar nor a parent. I have however some years of teaching (or rather attempts at teaching) under my belt, which has helped me to make the following realizations.

I think the first time I had the chance to work with Pre-Schoolers, I was amazed by how strong and assertive those children were. I did not see the image of their mother or father; all I saw was uninhibited, pure, raw soul energy. You could almost tell what kind of a personality they would incorporate into their beings in the distant future.

The realization that I had no control over the way in which my students will eventually lead their lives, came within the first week of my teaching career. Also, came with it the horrific realization that I was ‘responsible’ for caring after these gentle beings, until they were old enough to fend for themselves. Suddenly, I felt myself become a Social Worker, a Psychologist, a Mediator, and sometimes if there was time, their Teacher.

A parent is the first teacher the pure soul encounters when they begin their life on this fleeting Earth. They spend most of their time with these Earthly parents, and re-learn what they’ve forgotten-- if they’re lucky. I guess what im trying to say is that parents are in even a more screwed up position than a school teacher because their spending time with the child is exponentially greater! HAH! Erm.

Teachers sometimes might not treat students with the same respect they would an adult because children tend to be shorter, innocent, and inexperienced, but parents because of their ‘flesh’ connection tend to treat their children as a continuation of their legacy and in some cases their property; all the while forgetting that children are a sacred trust, an individual entity, that will stand alone – just like them – on the DAY OF JUDGEMENT.

What A Beautiful Dua...

Umm al-Mu'minin, Umm Salama, whose name was Hind bint Abi Umayya Hudhayfa al-Makhzumiyya reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say when he left his house,

"In the name of Allah. I have relied on Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from misguiding others or being misguided, or slipping or making others slip, or wronging others or being wronged, or being ignorant or being made ignorant."

[Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and others.]

Neutrinos

Truth is stranger than fiction. For example, who knew that tiny, energetic, and virtually undetectable particles (with neither mass nor electric charge) passed through your body every second? How many? About a hundred trillion.

WHAT?!?!

Ok, so why the big fuss?

"Because the ability to pass through drifting interstellar crud allows neutrinos to carry messages from the far reaches of the universe. And because some neutrinos are fabulously energetic. They carry a bigger punch than even the most intense gamma ray. That means they must originate in someplace exciting.

Just as you can't pull a hot coal from a cold fire, you shouldn't get "hot" neutrinos from "cool" sources like ordinary stars. These neutrinos, in other words, may be bringing signals of some of the hippest, blazingly hot stuff in the sky -- neutron stars (defined), active galactic centers (defined), and exploding stars, or supernovas." (whyfiles.org)

(Yes, I will spare you my space travel/Jinn theories.)

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Neutrino
The Ghost Particle
Neutrinos Matter