Year-end rambling

Bismillah.

"I'm strong because I know my weaknesses. I'm wise because I've been foolish. I laugh because I've known sadness."
- Women of History

That's my favorite tweet of the week. Very true. To be wise you must first be foolish. And those smart alecks who pretend to be wise all the time really are making a fool of themselves. 

One other tweet that makes me laugh out loud: "Only female mosquitoes bite!" [Thank you Steve Keating]. What's with the female species, dare I ask? I thought the male ones bite too? heh heh...

I am actually writing this on Sunday, so excuse the laid-back tone. It'll appear to have been published on Monday because I am trying to write in advance, to hit my 200 blog-posts target for 2012 and I've got about fourteen more to go, yay! In Sha Allah. 

Anyway, hope it would  ease your Monday blues. But Muslims really shouldn't say that because I have read another tweet that it is in fact Monday bliss. Because it's the Prophet's salallah alaihi wasalam birthday and we rejoice in his coming to existence. 

I had a good chat with one senior lady at zawiyah last Thursday and she reminded me about the importance of having a consciousness of Nur Muhammad in each inhale and exhale. That is, technically speaking, at the end of the spectrum, because as a tariqa person he/she is connected to him salallah alaihi wasalam through the shaykh with whom he/she makes a pledge (bay'at). Hence, the importance of keeping a heart connection (rabitah) with the shaykh. Without a rope, it's quite difficult to get there.

And we need to join the shuyukh caravan. If we jumped on the shuyukh locomotive, we will eventually arrive even if we're sitting in the last coach. That's what I heard from one of my earlier guides. That was about a decade ago. Alhamdulillah.

It's year-end. I love year-end. Naturally our mental faculties tend to reflect on the past months and years. Coming back to the above quote by Women of History, let us ask these questions: what weaknesses have I fumbled that have made me a bit stronger now? How foolish have I been all these months and years, that I am feeling a little wiser now? What sadness have befallen me that have caused me to toughen up, so I can laugh a little now?

Hmm... I say plenty!

-E-

p/s Pardon my jaded rambling. Blame the female mosquitoes : D