spoken literaly

"there is something that doesn't love a wall", and anyway I never did love a wall,
a barrier raised on account of this or that. a reason. anything can pass for a reason really. "just because" and there you go, you have a good enough reason to conjure a percept of some sort.
So it has become my habit to think in poetry. But truly now, who wouldn't? "why do I go rolling without wheels, flying without wings or feathers" Now that is a question to ask a self. Paint a word in colors, make it sad, give it a face, walk it up and down...
So what you got to do is "tell all the Truth but tell it slant". to do this all you need is "a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." then you are good to go. but go where I wonder. I puzzle my mind all night long thinking, and thinking...but about what would be the question there is no direct answer for. Hence the bottom line of "the profit in what is, is in the use of what isn't." Go back one line and ask me again, the bottom line?? uummm silence. "later perhaps. Lessons following lessons, like silence following a sound." the mind stops and takes a break, resets until it is ready to speak, in the silent company of action. It keeps quite for a while, until passion takes over, with commitment on its side.

Hikmet

(all the poems in quotes: are lines from Frost, Dickinson, King Jr, Tzu)

fresh off the oven

Yummy goodness. Only thing is, got to wait until iftar to enjoy'em.

Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything.
Mother Teresa

"Melting Pot" mecca

Assalamu Alikum Wa Rahmatullah & Peace to all,

This is one of the most blessed times I had ever had, alhamdulilah. Despite for Eid, as it is predictable with "I don't follow the saudi's" politics...I was able to enjoy my time and be amazed at the Masjid I went to pray with. More over, as my header indicates today, I was impressed by the diversity of the people, the joy that was clearly in the air and the fact that it was Eid. The following pictures were taken on a cellphone camera, so I didn't get the best shots. This Irving Masjid, in Texas, was one of the biggest I had ever seen in my entire visit to any masajid thus far. It was sited on this huge piece of land, had the biggest parking lot and amenities. Oh, and it also had the prettiest chandelier which I wasn't able to take the picture of, since it was very crowded.



Speaking of crowd, there were people from all over the world. People from the middle east, East and West Africa, South American, Europe, Asia, South East Asia. This I am not only talking about small number but lots of people greeting each other, smiling, hugging, kissing, wishing one another "Eid Mubarak" even when told to keep silent for the Takbir and Khutbah. It was absolutely moving, to know that all over the world, in all tongues and colors we happened to be in the United States of America Glorifying Allah in unison: "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Illaha Illa Allahu Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wa Lilahil Hamd...."
You really think at that moment, this isn't only the "melting pot" of assimilation some passionately criticize, but also a "melting pot" blessing. Brain-drain, the "american dream", refugees, and it could be any reason, but everyone has come to embrace life here...extend the life-line to the families they are making...and at the end of the day hold on to Islam as the most important part of their life. Alhamdulilah Eid was nice as it gave me a lot of perspective on life, culture and identity in respect to Faith.
May Allah accept from us our fasting Insha'allah, and make us the most scrupulous people of all when it comes to our Deen.

H_ (with sadness that "normal" life be resuming starting Monday).

The art of Calligraphy

^^ 'Hikmet' ^^ (one of my practice writings)

One thing that completely impresses me is anything handy, such as carpentry, cooking, embroidery, and in what will be today's focus: calligraphy. I absolutely love to be able to write beautifully, dipping a quill in an ink. Well, one of my challenges this summer was to make time for some calligraphy lessons. Today I am going to share a bit about the six major script types in the Arabic art of calligraphy. During my grade years, we were taught the two major styles: Naskh and Riq'a of which I would have to say Riq'a to be the hardest.

1. Naskh : this is the most common type of script in the Arabic writing. Most of the published Qur'ans are written in this style as it is more "rhythmic, legible and clear". The words are more proportionately written above and below the mid line. It is said that this style of writing was developed during the 10th century.
2. Kufi : this type of writing, considered to have preceded the Naskh, is more "angular and square". It was mostly suitable for engraving it on stones and wood. It also "appears on the earlies surviving Qur'an manuscripts".
   
3. Riq'a : In this type of script, the letters are "rounded and densely structured" giving it a similarity to Thuluth and Naskh but distinct and simple. It is the "most common hand writing" styles in the Arab world.
4. Thuluth : Is one of the most widely used ornamental writing style. This script does resemble Kufi cursives, but is distinct in that the letter are more curved unlike the "angular and square" way of Kufic style.
5. Taliq : This type of writing which is also known as "Farsi" or "Nastaliq" does resemble Riq'a only that it displays longer lines. It is most popular in Iran, India and Pakistan.
6. Deewani : Is undoubtedly one of the most complex style of writing. Its letters are "undotted and unconventionally joined together".

For more in-depth information and further reference of these Arabic calligraphy styles and more you can check here and here.
As for me, we'll go by the saying "Practice makes Perfect".

The Eminent Imams Of Hadith - IV

ABU DA'UD

Abu Da'ud, Sulaiman bin Al-Ashath bin Ishaq Al-Azdi As-Sijistani, who was one of the eminent Imam of Hadith, was born in 202 H. He studied Ahadith under Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal along with Al-Bukhari and taught many of the later scholars of Hadith, like At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i.

Though ABu Da'ud colleced 500,000 Ahadith, he compiled 4800 Ahadith only in his book entitled As-Sunan, which he taught in Baghdad and other major cities at that time. He died at Basra on Friday in the month of Shawwal 275 H.

(Biographies of the Imams that are being posted are from the book Bulugh Al-Maram, by
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani)

Feel the Peace...

"Oh Allah! You are forgiving and you love forgiving. So forgive me. "