Mishary Alafasy singing for Syria.
Majnun would stare at the full moon.
When asked why, he replied: maybe Layla might look, too, and our glances meet.
The Garden
Walking within they do not know it,
Planted at their feet, the buried memories;
They only see a garden, bushes, trees
Not the secrets so delicately knit.
The flowers are silent to them, silent;
They do not say a word, but quietly
They are looked at, and admired quietly,
They whisper nothing and nothing relent.
Yet for me all the flowers keep you near,
The orchids and the heliconia,
Bromeliad and bougainvillea;
The plants you love that I in turn hold dear.
It is a living temple wherein
I come to find you; you smell of jasmine.
— Rafael Alejandro Jara.
How I swoon! pale as the light of the moon
Remembering the fragrance of a rose!
— Sīdi Aḥmad al ‘Arūsi.
Check out this tooth I extracted yesterday. I’d never seen a cracked tooth like that before. it was completely split in half and you couldn’t even tell from the radiograph.
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
— Max Erhmann.
Hamza Yusuf - “The Critical Importance of Al-Ghazali in Our Times”
Rapsodia - Tsovinar Hovhannisyan & Lilian Martirosyan.
Every moment is tailor made. My nafs is the only thing that doesn’t seem to fit.
Duo oud - Quanoun - Ensemble Ibn Arabi.
Through him all is redeemed
And harmony restored.
He is the gate between
Mankind and the Lord.
In heaven he is praised,
On earth he is adored.
He is a mercy sent
By the Merciful One.
No one has equaled him
Since the world was begun;
No one will equal him
Should the world be undone.
His beauty makes silence
Burst into endless song.
His majesty mutes all
Makes love speechless and withdrawn.
His alchemy makes gold,
Transmutes virtue from wrong.
May his name be hallowed
In every place with every breath
May he and his nation
Like Abraham be blessed
And to his truthfulness
May all creation attest.
May the words of Rafi‘
To Muhammad ascend,
He is altogether lovely
My beloved, my friend;
And better praise than this
Be upon him without end.
— Rafael Alejandro Jara.
As the Arab racer needs not the whip,
So you will not need to fear
When on your journey you have started.
When purified are your soul and body,
You will not fear the fires of hell.
Throw pure gold into the fire;
If it contains no alloy, what is there to burn?
