Boxxxing grrreattt | A day to remember

Bismillah.

'Tis the day to be jolly. Today is 26 Dec 2013. It's known as Boxing Day, whatever that means, I don't really care but it's boxxxing grrreattt for me. It's a day to remember because, thanks to a friend, we were able to have a private audience with the much respected and adored Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya an-Ninowy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It's his first visit to Malaysia and I, this needy soul, have been waiting since 2009 to meet the Shaykh!

Allahu Akbar, what's the lesson here? The lesson is that I see another proof of Allah who is ever listening to the faintest whisper in our heart. A proof that love is all it takes. That no love escapes His hearing. That all you need to have is love. That no love shall ever be wasted, ever. And He will fulfill your yearning to meet the beloved. Subhanallah.

Alfu alfu Alhamdulillah. Someone is shaykh-struck but she is not going to be apologetic about it. Excited, in fact. There's just something magical about Shaykh Ninowy. You look at him, you can't help but think of his fore-fathers, his lineage through the Prophet's daughter - Saydatina Fatimah az-Zahra.

What's magical was his face of love and the path of love which he propagates. During the brief but very meaningful meeting, this faqir only managed to bring up two points:

• That one important takeaway for me from the recent Sacred Path of Love event in Singapore was that he said we should: "Inhale love and exhale gratitude." The shaykh remarked: 'Yes, that's very important.'
• That my 13 year old nephew who also attended the Sacred Path of Love event asked me what's Sufism. So I asked Shaykh Ninowy, how do we explain Sufism to a young person. And this was his answer: "It's a spiritual relationship you establish with Allah, not just in tangible things but also in spiritual love and attitude. Observing and knowing Allah in your heart and you keep it all day long."

Our dear Shaykh Ninowy will be departing Kuala Lumpur tonight. We pray Allah will keep him and his entourage safe throughout their journey. Pray Allah grants the shaykh a long and healthy life and may we benefit and practise whatever good counsel we have received from him. Ameen.

O friends, let's inhale love and exhale gratitude :)

*******

Heartfelt thanks to the friend who was the cause of that special meeting. I am reminded of what Shaykh Muhammad Mendes said at the Sacred Path of Love 2013 event, that his guru had said to him: "Always ask the meaning of your meeting. You never meet anyone by accident!"

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

Pic credit: Sout Ilaahi, the organizer of the Sacred Path of Love.