Thursday 29 December 2011

Tis the reason for the season Part 2 The Birth of Jesus in the Quran

In the previous part I quoted signs from the Quran that relate directly to Mary peace be upon her. Now I shall quote the tale of the Birth of Jesus peace be upon him from the Quran: 



   "The angels said, 'Mary, God gives you news of a Word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, who will be held in honour in this world and the next, who will be of those brought near to God. He will speak to people in his infancy and in his adulthood . He will be one of the righteous.' She said, 'My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has touched me?' [The angel] said, 'This is how God creates what He will: when He has ordained something He only says, "Be", and it is." [The Family of 'Imran 3: 45-47] 

   "Mention in the Qur'an the story of Mary. She withdrew from her family to a place to the east and secluded herself away; We sent Our spirit to appear before her in the form of a perfected man. She said, 'I seek the Lord of Mercy's protection against you: if you have any fear of Him!' but he said, 'I am but a messenger from your Lord, to announce to you the gift of a pure son.' She said, 'How can I have a son when no man has touched me? I have not been unchaste,' and he said, 'This is what your Lord said: "It is easy for Me - We shall make him a sign to all people, a blessing from Us."' And so it was ordained: she conceived him. She withdrew to a distant place and, when the pains of childbirth drove her to [cling to] the trunk of a palm tree, she exclaimed, 'I wish I had been dead and forgotten long before all this!' but a voice cried to her from below, 'Do not worry: your Lord has provided a stream at your feat and, if you shake the trunk of the palm tree towards you, it will deliver fresh ripe dates for you, so eat, drink, be glad, and say to anyone you may see: "I have vowed to the Lord of Mercy to abstain from conversation, and I will not talk to anyone today."' 
    She went back to her people carrying the child, and they said, 'Mary! you have done something terrible! Sister of Aaron! Your father was not an evil man; your mother was not unchaste!' She pointed at him. They said, 'How can we converse with an infant?' He said: 'I am a servant of God. He has granted me the scripture; made me a prophet; made me blessed wherever I may be. He commanded me to pray, to give alms as long as I live, to cherish my mother. He did not make me domineering or graceless. Peace was on me the day I was born, and will be on me the day I die and the day I am raised to life again.' Such was Jesus, son of Mary." [Mary 19: 16-34]

  "Remember the one who guarded her chastity. We breathed into her from Our Spirit and made her and her son a sign for all people." [The Prophets 21:91]

My Journey with the Franciscan Friars in London





    Well where to begin. I went to a franciscan friary in a poor area of London. the friary had 5 friars. 1 of which is only there for a month from the states. In fact half the friars were american. 

    I was given a small room like themselves, there wasn't any cabinet or wardrobe. for they live a life of poverty and luckily I got a small feel for that. I say small because I had a mattress, and when I peeked into their rooms, all I saw were sleeping bags. It was as I thought it would be, a life of prayer and service. the complete surrender of the self to God, which came in the form of worship & service, what else could it be?

    They serve a soup kitchen for the poor 4 days a week. It popped a bubble I was in, to see people like that, dark fingertips and blood shot eyes. poor and homeless. the friars provide food and shelter, a place to have a shower, and one volunteer even gave hair cuts! But they had as they have to offer something more. As I see those folks, no wonder they become alcoholics or drug addicts, who wants to confront such a reality? Especially there, I remember seeing in the horizon of that area the big corporate buildings of London, but that's where the friars come in.

    I think when people have God in their hearts this suffering can become ever so more tolerable perhaps. One can see that in the life of those who went through poverty and had God in their hearts and by their side as it were. Like St. Francis, Job and The Final Prophet peace be upon him & people who lived in poverty yet had wide grins. because they are in a state of trust, reliance and love of God I think.

    This was a really important Journey for me to witness & be part of. I even got to witness the rosary with the friars for the first time. They said Hail marys so many times I memorized it!

    As I pray 5 times a day and prostrate to God, they also do the same every time they enter the chapel. https://s-static.ak.facebook.com/images/blank.gif

    All this and the conversations I had with the brothers were really inspiring one way or another. Thanks be to God. One Father Jacob spoke to me about why he sees Christianity as the path to follow through modern day miracles and the Eucharist. Another Brother John Baptist who was your average enthusiastic american, where he helped me go through the motions of their 5 prayers and also decorate the Christmas tree, we spoke of pro-life issues and my reasons for actually being there. Then brother Justin who came to London for the first time for his break from Seminary school was a nice man who would stay in prostration for minutes, where the other brothers would prostrate for no more than half a second. Father Emmanuel who spoke to me of his calling to a life as a friar and the importance of being servants to the poor. Finally Brother John Bosco, who probably found it odd for a Muslim to visit a christian friary, that showed in his conversation with me as he believed my faith to be that of aggressors, when I showed him scripture, he recoiled to events that in my opinion are more rooted in politics than faith as evident for me anyway. It was a most intense conversation, I pray he sees Islam as it truly is. 


This is my take of my Journey to St. Fidel's Friary of the Franciscans of the Renewal.

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Infanticide in Pre-Islamic Arabia

I came across a journal article from the International Journal of Academic Research titled: "Infanticide in pre-Islamic era: phenomenon investigation"  In it was discussed the prevalency of such an act, why and if there were any protest or action against it. 




I would like to quote to you some of what was in this article in regard to two matters:
 1- reasons for infanticide &
 2- How it was retaliated against. 


Helpful Definition:


Jahiliyya: generally used to identify the period pre-dating Islam in Arabia. Literally translates as the period of ignorance. 




1- Reasons for infanticide: 


" Reasons for infanticide: Some of the Arabs used to resort to infanticide for various reasons (7). 
   First: Intense jealousy and fear of being shamed. Those were Banu Tamim, Kinda and other tribes. The background to this fixation was when Banu Tamim refused to pay ransom to Emir Nu’man ibn al-Munther. The brother of Nu’man, named al-Rayyan, fought them, plundered their belongings and enslaved their women folk. A delegation from Bani Tamim, made representations to the Emir regarding their captive women folk. He ruled that they choose between remaining in his household or, that he return with them. They included the daughter of Qays ibn ‘Assem. She chose captivity rather than returning with her husband. Thereupon, Qays swore to bury every daughter born to him, and he did burry scores of new born girls. In this connection, there is another version. The story tells that the tribe of Rabii’a was the first to have perpetrated infanticide. The tribe was raided and, a girl was abducted for the Emir of the raiders. He recovered her as a part of a peace deal, but she was given the choice, by mutual agreement, between going back with her father or, remaining with her husband. She chose to remain with her husband, which choice angered her father whereupon, he enacted the practice of infanticide amongst his people, and they followed his enactment.
   Second: Some of them would bury alive those newborn infants if their color was blue, or if their bodies carried many spots, or were hairy or, physically handicapped, because they regarded them as bad omens (8).
    Third: Some would perpetrate infanticide, out of poverty and fear of not being able to sustain their children.
    Fourth: Some would take it upon himself, to slaughter one of his children, if ten children were born to his household, as did Abdul Muttalib in his famous episode with his son Abdullah, father of the prophet (pbuh).
    Fifth: some would say, that the angels are the daughters of God, God forbid, wherefore they disposed of girls, one after the other."




2- How it was retaliated against: 


   "There were amongst the Arabs those who were enlightened, who would refrain from committing this heinous crime. Al-Qurtubi has narrated that “those honorable men amongst them would refrain from committing infanticide and would forbid others from committing it (2). Alussi narrates that: many wise Arabs did not accept that foul practice, and some of them would pay ransom to their parents to save them (3). We would have liked to see al-Qurtubi or Alussi mention the names of those who had refrained from committing that act, but they only mentioned the names of those who urged its abandonment. 
    Zayd ben Amr ben Nafeel used to resurrect the victims of infanticide and, would tell a man who wished to kill his newborn: Do not kill her, I would support her. He would take the infant and raise her until she become of age; then, he would take her to her father and say: if you wish it, I would deliver her to you, and if you wished otherwise, I would take care of her (4).
    Al-Qurtubi and al-Alussi narrated that (5), Sa’sa’a ben Najia, grandfather of the poet al-Farazdaq, used to buy the infants whose father wanted to bury them on grounds of destitution. He succeeded in saving sixty six such infants, up to the era of the Messenger of God. Al-Farazdaq proudly registers this feat in a poem, in which he boasts: From amongst us are those who resurrected the infanticide and Ghaleb and ‘Amr and those who opposed such acts. Those are my forefathers, show me their likes, if o Jareer we meet in confrontation.  
    Ibn Duraid narrates: “Sa’sa’a was a man of great standing. He would ransom the infants destined to die, during the Jahiliyya, and on the advent of Islam, he had thirty such infants in his hold. Sa’sa’a embraced Islam before the Prophet (pbuh) (6).
    Ibn Hajar quotes Sa’sa’a as having said: I had an audience with the Messenger of God (pbuh), and he recited to me verses from the Qur'an. I said: O Messenger of God, I have done good deeds during the Jahiliyya, would I be rewarded for them? The Prophet asked him: what did you do, and he narrated how he had ransomed infants threatened with infanticide. Al-Farazdaq the poet, boasts about it in the following verse (7). It was my grandfather who forbade infanticide, and resurrected the victims from perdition. It is claimed that he was the first to do that. I said, it has been proved that Zeid ben Nafeel used to do so, and therefore if is possible to give pride of place to Sa’sa’a over the Tamim and other tribes, and the precedence of Zeid over the Quraysh (8).
    Ibn al-Jawzi narrates in his biography of Sa’sa’a, his story with a man who wanted to perpetrate infanticide against his infant girl (9). I found cases during the Jahiliyya  where men protested against the practice of infanticide, but these were rare cases involving sisters, and do not match the feats of Zeid ben ‘Amr, or Sa’sa’a ben Najia. 
     Ibn Hajar narrates in his biography of ‘Olatha be Wahb ben Khalifa al-Ghanawi that “He wanted to burry two of his newborns during the Jahiliyya, and his son Rabee’ ben ‘Ollatha said to his father: why don’t you leave them alone, and he did. When Islam came, ‘Ollatha and his sons embraced Islam, including the two daughters (10). We found some cases where the perpetrator of infanticide felt deep remorse, and this is what happened with Bani Laquita. Khazanal al-Adab narrates a verse on Laquita, by poet Qurayt ben Onif al-‘Anbari. He said: If I belonged to Mazen [tribe], the sons of Laquita Would not have plundered my camels  
    She is Um Hisn ben Hathifa. She was given this name because her father did not have any other children, and the Arabs during that era were prone to commit infanticide. When he saw her his heart softened towards her, and said to her mother: breast feed her and hide her from the sight of people. Thus, she was named Laquita (11). 
    Ibn Qutayba narrates that Imru’o al-Qays had girls and no male offspring. He was extremely jealous, and whenever a girl was born to him he would commit her to infanticide. When his women saw this characteristic in him, they dispersed their girls amongst various Arab quarters. When he was informed of this, he pursued and killed them (1). This story confirms that women were against infanticide and would protest against it.
    Perhaps the whole tribe, at the protest of women, would forgo infanticide. Thus Zuhra ben ‘Allab did not have any children, so he married ‘Aqila bint ‘Abdel-‘Ozza ben Ghira al-Thaqafi. She gave birth to three boys who died at a young age. He swore that if a baby girl were born to him, he would kill her. His wife did give birth to a girl, and he ordered that she be buried. The tribe of Quraysh said to him: the Arabs were prone to do that infanticide, because of abject poverty, and you have plenty of money. He told them about the circumstances surrounding her birth, and that he had ordered her infanticide, and how her mother hid her. Zahra then had a dream, with a voice telling him: perhaps a young friendly knight, and a leader amongst leaders, and a man of generosity in time of need, would be in the womb of that infanticide baby. Wherefore he kept her alive, named her al-Sawda, and she got married to Amr ben Ka’b, ben Sa’d ben Taym ben Murra (2)."
To find out more please go to the link at the beginning to read the full article. 

The question at the end is....Is the struggle for the protection of children then and now much different?

Saturday 24 December 2011

Tis the reason for the season Part 1 Who is Mary in the Quran?

I would like to share with you three passages of the Quran relating to Mary peace be upon her, let it not be said I didn't blog for Mary & Jesus. A most beloved people to our Lord. 


Note: The family of 'Imran mentioned is attributed to the family of Mary peace be upon her





"God chose Adam , Noah, Abraham's family, and the family of 'Imran over all other people, in one line of descent - God hears and knows all. 'Imran's wife said, 'Lord, I have dedicated what is growing in my womb entirely to You; so accept this from me. You are the One who hears and knows all,' but when she gave birth, she said, 'My Lord! I have given birth to a girl' - God knew best what she had given birth to: the male is not like the female - 'I name her Mary and commend her and her offspring to Your protection from the rejected Satan.' Her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in goodness, and entrusted her to the charge of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah went to see her in her sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions. He said, 'Mary, how is it you have these provisions?' and she said, 'They are from God: God provides limitlessly for whoever He will.'" [The Family of 'Imran 3: 33-37]

"The angels said to Mary: 'Mary, God has chosen you and made you pure: He has truly chosen you above all women. Mary, be devout to your Lord, prostrate your self in worship, bow down with those who pray.' This is an account of things beyond your knowledge that We reveal to you: you were not present among them when they cast lots to see which of them should take charge of Mary , you were not present with them when they argued [about her]. " [The Family of 'Imran 3:42-44]
"Mary, daughter of 'Imran. She guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her from Our spirit. She accepted the truth of her Lord's words and Scriptures: she was truly devout" [Prohibition 66:12] 
Next part to come soon! On the pregnancy & birth of Jesus peace be upon him  =) 

Thursday 17 November 2011

The first conflict among men


Found this amazing passage from the Quran =) it opened my eyes:
"Tell them the truth about the story of Adam's two sons: each of them offered a sacrifice, and it was accepted from one and not the other. One said, 'I will kill you,' but the other said, 'God only accepts the sacrifice of those who are mindful of Him. If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you. I fear God, the Lord of all worlds, and I would rather you were burdened with my sins as well as yours and become an inhabitant of the Fire: such is the evildoers' reward.' But his soul prompted him to kill his brother: he killed him and became one of the losers. God sent a raven to scratch up the ground and show him how to cover his brother's corpse and he said, 'Woe is me! Could I not have been like this raven and covered up my brother's body?' He became remorseful. On account of [his deed], We decreed to the Children of Israel that if anyone kills a person -unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land- it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any save a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind." - [ The Feast 5: 27-32]

I would love to explain what I got from it, but I fear restricting it's full picture with my small views.

Monday 20 June 2011

Defining the Radical

Picture of the awesome people who volunteered for the conference
     After attending FOSIS Annual Conference, I'm coming to a conclusion that this fear of non-violent "extremist" Muslims at home is all politics meant to distract us from the real threat to Britain and its freedom. Those who go to war against non-threats, killing innocents, claiming dominion, enforce ideology & separatism, calling all who dare to resist their foreign occupation a terrorist. Those who steal the wealth of others and dare to call you criminal if you wish to keep what is yours. Those who deem ownership over your life & property using fines, force and guns to impose this delusion. Those who wish to shape society by controlling what is taught to people when they are young. Those who make it unlawful to protect yourself from the aggression of others.

  Here I use this definition of terrorism:  "the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion" (source: http://bit.ly/uA6Ja)


Please allow me to end with this, Radicals & extremists are all around us, in all shapes and forms, some are goths, & others are monks. Some are stoners and others are T-total. Some are anarchists, others are totalitarians. Some who dare to believe in a time of world peace, others who wish for humanity to perish. So if this is the case, and this is some of what makes up a free humanity in society, then by what measure can one judge our fellow free human beings as Virtuous or immoral? Good or evil?


Who's committing the aggression?

Monday 2 May 2011

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Violence

‎Why I believe in non-aggression.











"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes: Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only LIGHT can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only LOVE can do that." -- The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday 20 March 2011

A libertarian stance on intervention in Libya

Recently I stumbled on this blog titled: The libertarian case for intervention in Libya

I decided to comment on it and I fancied to blog it, so here it is:


    I wish I can say I couldn't agree more, as I also wish for individual liberty to be unrestricted on anyone and everyone, but if we say its fine for this government to use the money of its own people to enforce or kill a dictator, then this IS government going out of bounds and it being a policeman of the world (Where do we cross the line?). The disagreement of intervention is not based on only that govnt should let people be. This of course is not the case locally where the least of government libertarians would advocate is one that would protect their natural & property rights from those who infringe it.

   I would instead advocate us as restricted free people to use our OWN resources to help deprived individuals as much as we say that charity should not be done by the state, also if we wish to put our lives on the line for another nation, we should be able to do so, without using govnt tactics as theft to fund it.

    Yet I must remind myself and all, that this same state as with the western backed monarchies of the gulf nations has deprived its people by taking their right to arms and self-defence. Also, this coalition government is no libertarian government, is it?  In one of the recent speeches of PM Cameron he used a term that is also used among neo-conservatives and its “Muscular Liberalism” I would reference you to this journal article:  http://bit.ly/dV5nH4

    You point out correctly the role of the state in justice, but I would disagree that the military has a duty to topple dictators, that's not libertarianism, that's neo-conservatism, is it not?

   I am personally a libertarian who thinks that tax payers’ money should be used for the tax payer or else this theft has no use.

   In the end, I would argue the state in itself has no international duties, but the service of its nation without force and coercion, which is not the case today in the UK. If some individuals wish to be of honour and put their life on the line for their fellow man, they have the right to do so, along with whoever wishes to join them and/or fund them, provided they don’t force steal people’s money to fund it. 

Saturday 19 March 2011

"He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future." - George Orwell

An observation:


   3 examples:


1-  this is a quote from a tweeter @Iyad_elbaghdadi :


"Let's talk a bit about that quote: "Insurrection of thoughts always precedes insurrection of arms." It was said by Wendell Phillips. Phillips () was an abolitionist, calling for an end to slavery in the USA, and for equal rights for Native Americans. He made the case that slavery and oppression are chiefly in the mind of the slave. He won't allow his thoughts to stray too far. Therefore he said that the true end to slavery isn't in legislation or on the battlefield but in the mind of the slave. It starts with men not believing anymore that they're slaves, who believe they're free, who no longer recognize slavery as legitimate.This insurrection of minds, once it has taken hold in a person, is the true revolution  .  The Libyan people no longer believe themselves to be slaves to Gaddafi. They have broken those shackles of mind for good. "
2-  This example is an observation witnessed by a dear friend of mine who is studying a Masters degree on Islam in Britain. He is also on twitter: @Abdulazim


   He spoke of a vicious circle of the medias general view and narrative on young British Muslims. That when you impose an idea that young British Muslims are ticking bombs, that they are susceptible more than their peers to become violent, radical and criminal. Left alone, they will come to a crisis and two choices, either to leave their faith, or to truly become radicalised believing what he is told about himself, because of the media coverage. Then taking  the real Muslims as people who compromised. thus fueling the hate machine and entertainment news media. 


  he also added that this all comes down to: 


a) a lack of religious guidance from scholars
b) a rejection of the violence and imperalism of western states
c) an identity crisis 



3- this is my personal observation of what is happening to the people in Bahrain:


     The government is using all its resources to promote sectarianism, and today I can say from what I have seen, that I know how Nazi Germany can happen:
Control the media, control education, and control all important social institutions. How can you go wrong?.


    with the uprising of a nation of a majority shia populace where they are the oppressed! in the gulf where I am now, the local media wishes me to believe that unarmed civilians, (There is a gun ban in all GCC nations)  who only have old swords and kitchen knives are initiating violence and aggressing against an institution that has an armed and armored task force, another country's army and helicopters in the air to boost. (Just to add on this issue of media, reporters from outlets such as the CNN and BBC were not allowed in Bahrain) .


     The Sunni people in Gulf nations are made to think that their governments are protecting them from the threat of Iranian imperialism...That Collectively all Shia are terrorists who secretly wish the death of all Sunnis, that they would betray their fellow Sunni for a fellow Shia for any reason, that their allegiance is not to their own people, but to Iran and Hezbullah..


. These sentiments are not new, they are generations of hate indoctrination put to work now, from my father to my little brother. God knows if I didn't leave Qatar to the UK I would have still accepted such vile ignorance as fact. The funny thing is, these people who speak with such hate, would sometimes be the ones who commit what they accuse my Shia brothers and sisters of. The media narrative today of Bahrain and the embedded hate, can do nothing to a Shia individual, but make him possibly either confused or angry, and would give great publicity to the few radical elements among the Shia and nothing to a sunni individual, but confirm the lies


   The specific reasons of why sunni and shia would hate each other don't matter, because after I learned of the shia tradition from shia I knew what I was told was but lies. I needed nothing but to learn, which removed the shade of ignorance.


   There is however a more important aspect to all of this, that the govnt used this tactic to remove itself from blame, to make as if shia are up to their antics again, and accused it of promoting the sectarian divide, making the rest love their government more and more for "protecting" them. Hence people praised saudi when it went into Bahrain with its tanks to a different country to "battle" unarmed people.


Has anything I said rang a bell in some other issue, in some other place in a time past possibly?


In this issue in my opinion it comes down to these matters: 

  • It begins with collective judgment: to assign a group of people to have a specific negative aspect to them based on colour, creed, nationality or some type of grouping
  • It comes from a position of power: either in number of in status. 
  • Its for the Ignorant masses that the person or people of power deem to represent. They are meant to believe this so much so, that the people of the group accused of this lie start to doubt themselves and sometimes believe it to be the case. 
  •  the purpose is to propose a set of ideas, or to alienate the particular group, or to propose a set of legislation, all for the consumption of more power either real of imaginary.



Of course this analysis at the end is purely simplistic and it comes from an individual who is no expert on this issue. 


At the end I'd like to propose this article I read recently that speaks close to the issue this blog wished to raise: Politically Incorrect Authoritarianism 


I hope you have found this blog to be of use. 


God Bless ^_^

Saturday 12 March 2011

God Vs Tyranny

The following is a passage from the word of God as I believe it to be, showing the attitude of God toward tyranny and how those who submit to him should act toward those who deny us freedom:


   "(6)But man exceeds all bounds (7)when he thinks he is self-sufficient: (8)all will return to your Lord. (9)Have you seen the man who forbids (10)[Our] servant to pray? (11)Have you seen whether he is rightly guided, (12) or encourages true piety? (13)Have you seen whether he denies the truth and turns away from it? (14)Does he not realize that God sees all? (15)No! If he does not stop, We shall drag him by his forehead (16)his lying, sinful forehead. (17)Let him summon his comrades; (18)We shall summon the guards of Hell. (19)No! Do not obey him: bow down in worship and draw close." [The Clinging Form 96: 6-19] 

Friday 4 March 2011

Words of Wisdom


‘Even though you're not equipped,
keep searching:
equipment isn't necessary on the way to the Lord.
Whoever you see engaged in search,
become her friend and cast your head in front of her,
for choosing to be a neighbor of seekers,
you become one yourself; protected by conquerors,
you will yourself learn to conquer.
If an ant seeks the rank of Solomon,
don't smile contemptuously upon its quest.
Everything you possess of skill, and wealth and handicraft,
wasn't it first merely a thought and a quest?’
- Rumi

Tuesday 1 March 2011

The scriptures of God


God spoke of the previous revelations in the Qur’an, as this Author can not explain such text, it is presented in its translated form:

“We sent to you [Muhammad] the Scripture with the truth, confirming the Scriptures that came before it, and with final authority over them: so judge between them according to what God has sent down. Do not follow their whims, which deviate from the truth that has come to you. We have assigned a law and a path to each of you. If God had so willed, He would have made you one community, but He wanted to test you though which He has given you, so race to do good: you will all return to God and He will make clear to you the matters you differed about” (The Feast 5:48)

“(105) We wrote in the Psalms, as We did in [earlier] Scripture:  ‘My righteous servants will inherit the earth.’(106) There truly is a message in this for the 
servants of God!” (The Prophets 21:05-106)

I hope you find this of interest ^_^

Sunday 27 February 2011

A matter of Death alone *reflection*

Hello and peace be upon you one and all =),

 Yesterday I was at an inspiring leadership conference organised by people who love God and love their fellow, and during that day This small reflection came to my mind, so I wished to share it with you, whoever who might read this:

    I will die. That I am certain. Yet, I do not own my death, but Yet, the life in which it takes is mine alone to dispose with as I wish. So who owns my death? Is it the person who will stab me in a dark alley? Is it father time? or shall it be a disease from mother nature? Or will my death be a result of some mistake a person makes whilst driving? Is my death the result of the magnificent entropy of this universe? Or is it just an incalculable incident that has no meaning?.

    Surely our death has meaning to each and every one of us. It might not matter to the stranger, but my death matters to me! who has my death in their hands to weave it at well? is it all what is around me, but me? waiting for a window of opportunity, waiting in that alley, watching me as I age, furthering the complexity of natures gifts, driving recklessly waiting for me to be on that same piece of tar.

   How can death be out of my control when my life is mine and mine alone?! yet I am more certain of my death than having a home, and having my faith with God. What does this all mean?

   Might I hazard a matter at will, that the ownership of my death is in the one who made the heavens and the earth to be? The one who created all nature and is beyond time itself, The one who gave life to me to own, cherish and live through. The one who controls the fabric of this expanding universe. The witness of the man who will stab me. The driver who will crush me. The disease that will kill me.

  Might I please add to all this, that if the preceding paragraph is to be true. Then fear of death is pointless, its coming is inevitable. Easier said than done however it seems to me.

 But if it is in the hands of who gave life it self. who made me free to love and hate, to be mistaken and correct, who gave me the mind to think, to be sad and happy, to be part of a group and a unique individual. To be the king of my life. Then might it be something to look forward to? to prepare for?

  Then the real question as it seems to me...What would you and I have prepared for death? or to put it in other words, what have we done with our lives thus far?

  I look forward to any comment an I do apologise for my downfalls ^_^