Eye vs. Eye

Listen to this recitation of Qur'an.

Did you notice that the excellent reciter, the quality of whose recitation you may've detected in an instance, is blind? This video has been watched by six lac people. Somebody commented that some people can see yet they're blinded by heart; this boy who can't see by eyes, yet how luminous his inner eye!

Qaseeda "Qad Kafani Ilmu Rabbi" by Abdal-Hakim Murad

PAF 'shows off' at Pak's golden jubilee

Amazing... 50 figure formation, Box formation, Bomb-bast, barrels, Mirages, F-16, loops, 9 G turn, Steep turns, tight repositioning, Cuban 8s, roaring after-burners...

Shahpar

My dear readers, I was reading this post on Social Action & Reaction by someone in Occidental Exile (this is his blog), and then happened to watch a few second clip of a PAF F-16 A taking off in winter weather at steep angle, thus I couldn't resist the temptation of thrilling you with extraordinary combat aerobatics of Pakistan's bride, F-16 - verify this later fact from a 2-yr child even, in Pak! Well, the quote that triggered this 'impulse' to 'thrill' you - in a moment - is quoted here:

"Your first question presupposes that Rene Guenon desired either to return society to a previous state or otherwise cause a radical change within its present structure but this is incompatible with the traditional teachings concerning cyclic laws. In the context of these laws the decadence of humanity as with their social institutions is an inevitable outcome of the progression of the ages leading from a Golden Age or Satya Yuga to the present Iron Age or Kali Yuga. This process can be represented as that of a winding-down or solidification of the world prior to a renewal." (Read the rest of post here.)

First, we go "maximum vertical":

Then we can't wait for a Paki Viper to go blasting over the perverted buildings of Islamabad.

At last, we can allow Europeans to show off their uniqueness (don't miss the point where it literally wheels in the air, i bet young, teenage Pakistani stunt-motor-bikers would feel heavily envious!):

"Islamic Parenting: Ten Keys to Raising Righteous Children"

This is from the SeekersGuidance (www.SeekersGuidance.org) Online Course on Islamic Parenting: http://www.seekersguidance.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84

"This important course seeks to provide guidance on one of the most critical topics of the times: raising mentally and spiritually healthy children. This course provides practical advice on how to raise upright children in the spirit of the Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunnah. Based on classical texts on Islamic parenting, the course contextualizes their wisdom in light of modern day circumstances and addresses the most pressing parenting questions, including how to raise children that are spiritual and love Allah and His Messenger, how to protect children from negative influences, how to discipline them, and how to deal with parenting issues specific to living in the West. This course is a must for all concerned Muslim parents."

"Obama - The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan"

Below is a 'animated word cloud' (looks beautiful) by Jeff Clark. (Source.)

Animated Word Cloud - Obama - The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan from Jeff Clark on Vimeo.

Droplets of water bouncing....

Watch for yourself. Allah hu Akbar, kabeera!

Qasida Burda Shareef by Muhammad Al-Husyan

Wanted to share this recitation of Burda Shareef by Muhammad Al-Husyan for many days. if you want an introduction to what Burda is all about, and more importantly, its significance for Islamic world, of which many, many Muslims are ignorant, watch the second clip.



Introducing the Burda of Imam Al-Busiri

"Abdallah Jones and the Disappearing-Dust Caper" by D. Abdul-Hayy Moore

What Daniel Abdul-Hayy Moore calls as "the Sufi version of Harry Potter" he wrote back in late 80s is this book, "Abdallah Jones and the Disappearing-Dust Caper" :: More than a decade has passed since I heard a bed-time story from my mother. i can still cherish the merriment and pleasure i used to get from the soothing voice of a heavenly gift called maa - ah! those bed-time stories. Abdul-Hayy in the following video has read out the first chapter of his book for 5 mins for us, rekindling the forgotten warm memories of the experience of the kindness of humanity's milk.

Learning Islam from the "Objective" International Standard Universities?

What I believe?

What follows below: This is what I believe. This is the center of my life about which all my efforts are directed, around which my days revolve. This is my world-view.

"TAHAWI'S STATEMENT OF ISLAMIC DOCTRINE (AL-`AQIDA AL-TAHAWIYYA)

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.

The great scholar Hujjat al-lslam Abu Ja'far al-Warraq al-Tahawi al-Misri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is a presentation of the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama`a, according to the school of the jurists of this religion, Abu Hanifa al-Nu`man ibn Thabit al-Kufi, Abu Yusuf Ya`qub ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari and Abu `Abdullah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, may Allah be pleased with them all, and what they believe regarding the fundamentals of the religion and their faith in the Lord of the worlds.

We say about Allah's unity, believing by Allah's help that:

1. Allah is One, without any partners.

2. There is nothing like Him.

3. There is nothing that can overwhelm Him.

4. There is no god other than Him.

5. He is the Eternal without a beginning and enduring without end.

6. He will never perish or come to an end.

7. Nothing happens except what He wills.

8. No imagination can conceive of Him and no understanding can comprehend Him.

9. He is different from any created being.

10. He is living and never dies and is eternally active and never sleeps.

11. He creates without His being in need to do so and provides for His creation without any effort.

12. He causes death with no fear and restores to life without difficulty."

Read the rest of the article here.

Why talk of creed? Hamza Yusuf answers the question:

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Soul's yearning

After listening to the strange rhythmic lines in the preceding video, reader/listener may be wondering what sense does it make? Partially because, as it proves, you don't know Arabic, which neither do I; and partially: if I don't understand Arabic poetry - then? So what? For my ears detect harmony in these words recited by Abdul-Hakim Murad. I listen to these short melodic lines again and again, its very pleasant for my soul. May be there is a treasure hidden in these lines that awaits me to unlock it...

Educating Muslim Youth by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Chittick says that Muslims have stopped to think. One of the major reasons for that is that Muslims have brushed the Islamic model of education replacing it with Western model of education, the latter not compatible wholly with the former. "Everyone nowadays is Qadi al-Qudat, Judge of Judges" - thanks to this alien system's intellectual outlook. While another oppression of the imported system is that it has replaced the fear of God in Muslims with an overwhelming fear of dunya (world) - overwhelming so to say to the mind rooted in tradition - the worth of which, i.e., dunya, is no more than a dead dog. I find this following lecture by Shaykh Yusuf invigorating, as if really 'revitalizing the dying organism' which is our mentality, generally speaking. Hope our elders get the point, reflect deeply on these matters, and do something about 'the dying organism' our youth is. But then again, as he proves, its on youth to take initiative to change, which, taking myself as an example, they can naturally do.

Part 1.


Part 2.

Talk with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Two Devastating Causes of Muslims' Disintegration

Image source

Muslims should not fall apart. They are not here to disintegrate. They are the best Ummah. They command good and forbid evil. But why have they disintegrated? Why there condition is most pathetic of all the nations of this world?

Sheikh ul Hind, Maulana Mahmood Hasan, after getting free by the grace of God from the harsh and oppressive imprisonment in Malta by the Britishers, happened to find himself in a company of a group of scholars in Deoband. What else could he say to them other then presenting the fruits of this arduous experience, i.e., the wisdom (hikmah) extracted. He said to them that from this whole experience of Malta he had learned (only) two lessons. The scholars around him became attentive as to what could be those two important lessons the leader (imam) of scholars of his time had learned. The Shakyh said: I have learned that two things have destroyed us (Muslim Ummah): one is our abandoning of Quran; and second is the disunity among us. (From Ikhtilaaf Rehmat Hai.) Firqabandi is haram for us, proclaims Mufti Rafi Usmani.

We are not people of argumentation. Those who wish or try to disperse us are shaitaan, devils. Yet the balance is needed, which can be better understood from the little booklet already quoted and the following lecture by Hamza Yusuf. Insha Allah!

A '+9 G' Maneuver with a Rotation to the Vertical

I have always dreamed of flying as a combat pilot in Pakistan Air Force (PAF). One day I may. Here is a cool display of what I may be doing partially at the prestigious Combat Commanders School of PAF, although this show by F-16 is an aerobatic display by, I presume, a European F-16. Physically and mentally the maneuvers are excruciating. The physicists better understand what a positive 9 G turn in the air means for a human body. (I'll explain it later maybe.)

Heart's Supreme Desire

My friend introduced this "naat" to me by Junaid Jamshed. Although I'm not so pure to have such a high desire the poet has expressed in this melodic poem of him, but I felt that such a desire must be of the highest kind. Unfortunately, it's in Urdu without any subtitles in English.

The "Civilized" Ones

This video was shot in Lahore in front of the famous Awan e Iqbal, where the Iqbal Academy is located as well. It shows the duality between what is said and what is done by the so-called Euro-centric civilized ones. (Coincidentally, the video was made by yours truly.)



The person reporting is Mr. Farjad Adnan, ex-president of a student organization in Pakistan called ESEF. He is currently studying at NUST.

Experience the Transformation of Sound into Visual-Patterns

Magnetosphere revisited (audio by Tosca) from flight404 on Vimeo.

I don't know what's the phenomena is called and how to create it, but people learning interactive media study it and create such things - wonderful things. You can read all about it here.

No Earthly Voice, No Earthly Formula

This recitation of Qur'an by Qari Abdul Basit Abdul Samad is one of those that awoke in me a repose. Repose to surrender before the Truth. Surrender to elevate from the lower self, so to say to become nearer to the Truth - the source of all, the One, the Absolute, Allah. The voice, the message is penetrating. It captures the heart of men; it piercers them directly, takes no long routes - so spontaneous. Softens this uncontrollable, incomprehensible device called heart, tames it.