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 The value of a diamond lies in its appearance:  its beauty is immediate and   superficial. One doesn’t have to see beyond what a diamond looks or seek   anything concealed beneath its surface to appreciate its value and capture its beauty. In contrast, a woman’s real worth lies deep inside, and her real beauty lies beneath the surface. A woman is human, which means that her value – and that of her male counterpart as well- lies inside- in her heart and mind. Unless one delves inside, one cannot catch a glimpse of her spiritual beauty and mental height, if any. While the beauty of a diamond is visible at a first glance, that of a woman – I mean her mental beauty, of course- is invisible to the eye. In fact the more a woman displays her outward physical beauty the less we appreciate her inward mental beauty and conversely, the less she displays her outward physical beauty the more we focus on her inward mental beauty.

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Such is the perfection of the human biological constitution that should one single organ or bone be displaced, it would disrupt the harmony of the body and jeopardize our very existence. Take for instance the elbow joint. Without it, all human achievements –cultural, technological, intellectual, scientific- would have been impossible. More, we would have been long extinct. Indeed, had we been created without an elbow joint, how could we have  eaten, drunk, written , invented or built anything with a pair of stiff stick-like hands dangling on our sides?

Salaat -prayer- is a bridge crossing over the agitated waters of life and connecting this world to the hereafter, the seen to the unseen. Not only does it elevate our souls to heaven but it also liberates our body – five times a day – from the shackles of flesh and vanity and infuses us with peace and tranquility.

I cannot belie -Nor can you-

The voice within

Which clearly says

One and one

Equal two.

 NB: if you wish to make a comment, just click on the title of the poem .

I am,

You are,

He is,

She is,

It is,

We are,

They are

The billionth of a grain

of sand

on a tiny grain of sand

amongst billions of other grains of sand

In the immeasurable vastness of the universe.

For a new non-Arab revert or a person still investigating Islam with a view to embracing it, reading the Qur’an may be an arduous task. First, because he/she has no choice but to read a translation and a translation is not the Qur’an, but an interpretation thereof. Second, the Qur’an does not follow the modern western writing pattern. For one thing, the Qur’an may move suddenly from one topic to another without any apparent transition. For another, rather than a linear pattern, the Qur’an follows a circular one.

To familiarize the new reverts with the Qur’an, I suggest that they should read a collection of verses most representative of the essence of the Qur’an. Once, they have read and assimilated the meanings of theses verses, reading the whole book becomes accessible and easily undertaken.

Suggested approach:

• Read the verse in toto to get its gist.
• Reread it word by word.
• More often than not a word in Arabic has several meanings and connotations. In order to catch a glimpse thereof go to commentaries of the Qur’an or to translators notes.
• Compare verses of similar meanings and topics and try to find the differences in between.

I have done my best to select the verses that most reflect the spirit of the Noble Qur’an. The verses have been selected from the translations of three renowned translators: Yussuf Ali, Pickthall and Shakir.

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And when the trumpet shall sound one blast  

And the earth with the mountains shall be lifted up and crushed with one crash,
Then, on that day will the Event befall. Read more »

For a new non-Arab revert or a person still investigating Islam with a view to embracing it, reading the Qur’an may be an arduous task. First, because he/she has no choice but to read a translation and a translation is not the Qur’an, but an interpretation thereof. Second, the Qur’an does not follow the modern western writing pattern. For one thing, the Qur’an may move suddenly from one topic to another without any apparent transition. For another, rather than a linear pattern, the Qur’an follows a circular one.

To familiarize the new reverts with the Qur’an, I suggest that they should read a collection of verses most representative of the essence of the Qur’an. Once, they have read and assimilated the meanings of theses verses, reading the whole book becomes accessible and easily undertaken.

Suggested approach:

• Read the verse in toto to get its gist.
• Reread it word by word.
• More often than not a word in Arabic has several meanings and connotations. In order to catch a glimpse thereof go to commentaries of the Qur’an or to translators notes.
• Compare verses of similar meanings and topics and try to find the differences in between.

I have done my best to select the verses that most reflect the spirit of the Noble Qur’an. The verses have been selected from the translations of three renowned translators: Yussuf Ali, Pickthall and Shakir.

******

Therefore continue to remind, for by the grace of your Lord, you are not a soothsayer, or a madman.

Or do they say: A poet, we wait for him the evil accidents of time.

Say: Wait, for surely I too with you am of those who wait.

Is it that their faculties of understanding urge them to this, or are they but a people transgressing beyond bounds?

Or do they say, “He fabricated the (Message)”? Nay, they have no faith! Read more »

I looked at the sky

And asked:” Who made you so high?”

It replied:” The one God, of course. Read more »

For a new non-Arab revert or a person still investigating Islam with a view to embracing it, reading the Qur’an may be an arduous task. First, because he/she has no choice but to read a translation and a translation is not the Qur’an, but an interpretation thereof. Second, the Qur’an does not follow the modern western writing pattern. For one thing, the Qur’an may move suddenly from one topic to another without any apparent transition. For another, rather than a linear pattern, the Qur’an follows a circular one.

To familiarize the new reverts with the Qur’an, I suggest that they should read a collection of verses most representative of the essence of the Qur’an. Once, they have read and assimilated the meanings of theses verses, reading the whole book becomes accessible and easily undertaken.

Suggested approach:

• Read the verse in toto to get its gist.
• Reread it word by word.
• More often than not a word in Arabic has several meanings and connotations. In order to catch a glimpse thereof go to commentaries of the Qur’an or to translators notes.
• Compare verses of similar meanings and topics and try to find the differences in between.

I have done my best to select the verses that most reflect the spirit of the Noble Qur’an. The verses have been selected from the translations of three renowned translators: Yussuf Ali, Pickthall and Shakir.

******

And he who believed said: O my people! Follow me. I will show you the way of right conduct.

O my people! Lo! this life of the world is but a passing comfort, and lo! the Hereafter, that is the enduring home.

Whoso doeth an ill-deed, he will be repaid the like thereof, while whoso doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, (all) such will enter the Garden, where they will be nourished without stint.

AL-GHAFIR (THE FORGIVER) 38-40 Read more »

Silences as fresh
As the cool desert breeze.
Silences as eloquent
As the twinkling stars above.

Farhat Ahmed Ali

NB: if you wish to write a comment, please click on the title of the poem.