its chilly overcast morning on my side of planet world and i feel a little floo'ish and have a small case of the sniffles. anything to creep back into bed and catchup on much needed sleep. too many things happening across the world and too many things on my mind. ok ok i lie..excuses excuses!
ramadan is nearly at an end. in a few days time, its back to normal and the spiritual fulfilment of this blessed month will long be forgotten. how quick the days went by and yet its still a 24hr day but the time just flew! i am definitely going to miss it, this year in particular i made a concerted effort to follow a lecture series at a mosque 20 mins drive from home when my mosque is a mere 500m away! sacrifice ya!
listening to someone explain a book that i read years ago just opened up those stories for me and gave them life and gave me many many lessons. i will definitely treasure this.
Monday 29 August 2011
Monday 15 August 2011
FOOD FOOD
yesterday a friend and i decided to visit a sprawling "sub economic" area of cape town called delft.
delft is an area close to the cape town international airport and is a sprawl of low cost housing and by now i reckon it could easily be home to a million people.
we were planning on breaking fast at one of the many mosques in the area and had brought a pot of food along so that the congregants who were present for the evening prayer could join us and we them in the iftaar.
upon our arrival, we were greeted by a queue of people outside the mosque waiting for food. the mosque runs a food kitchen and apparently this is the deal every evening now in ramadan with people waiting for handouts. looking through the line i counted at least 12 able bodied males and females who looked that they did not have a worry in the world and to them this was just another free meal.
there were many hungry faces as well, people with deep concern and worry about the next for as luck might have it, the chicken curry and rice arrived late.
when it all was dished up and everyone had their little bowls and plates filled and sad worried faces turned to smiling ones, i was left contemplating that what if the people of this poor mosque had asked those able bodied people for assistance....would they have assisted them in the same way that food was given to them without question.
my resounding answer is...NO!
i hope to be proven wrong sometime...
delft is an area close to the cape town international airport and is a sprawl of low cost housing and by now i reckon it could easily be home to a million people.
we were planning on breaking fast at one of the many mosques in the area and had brought a pot of food along so that the congregants who were present for the evening prayer could join us and we them in the iftaar.
upon our arrival, we were greeted by a queue of people outside the mosque waiting for food. the mosque runs a food kitchen and apparently this is the deal every evening now in ramadan with people waiting for handouts. looking through the line i counted at least 12 able bodied males and females who looked that they did not have a worry in the world and to them this was just another free meal.
there were many hungry faces as well, people with deep concern and worry about the next for as luck might have it, the chicken curry and rice arrived late.
when it all was dished up and everyone had their little bowls and plates filled and sad worried faces turned to smiling ones, i was left contemplating that what if the people of this poor mosque had asked those able bodied people for assistance....would they have assisted them in the same way that food was given to them without question.
my resounding answer is...NO!
i hope to be proven wrong sometime...
Monday 1 August 2011
FASTING
so today is the start of ramadan. fasting from food n drink amongst other things but feasting on food for the spirit and soul. its only day one and so far it is going really quick. i am 4 hours in, with about 8 more to go. a few days into the month, one does experience a physical change (weight loss etc) but also a spiritual change cos fasting for sure does humble you.
a good reminder once a year for 30 days or so what everyday must feel and be like for someone who has nothing to eat and drink for days on end. at night we can at least indulge in delicious meals and go sleep in warm beds, what about the poor the needy the lost and the destitute. i hope that for me, this month is fulfilling spiritually...we all tend to wander (wonder?) sometimes and this is a perfect reminder to get back on the straight and narrow path and to get closer to God via prayer, reading qur'an and introspection....
happy fasting, ramadan mabrook, ramadan kareem
a good reminder once a year for 30 days or so what everyday must feel and be like for someone who has nothing to eat and drink for days on end. at night we can at least indulge in delicious meals and go sleep in warm beds, what about the poor the needy the lost and the destitute. i hope that for me, this month is fulfilling spiritually...we all tend to wander (wonder?) sometimes and this is a perfect reminder to get back on the straight and narrow path and to get closer to God via prayer, reading qur'an and introspection....
happy fasting, ramadan mabrook, ramadan kareem
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