The Idols Will Fall

The brilliant and brave youth did do right
Smashing the fake idols with all his might
All he destroyed, all save the biggest idol
He then laid his axe before the idle idol
When asked later, he blamed the big one
Thereby awakening their faculties of reason
As they had to accept that it was but mute
And that it was powerless beyond dispute
His calm logic only made them displeased
as blind are they whose souls are diseased
So they catapulted him into a giant flame
Yet still he never renounced the Lord's name
The fire to him was made cool and pliant
A fitting reward for his unwavering reliance
O' you who who gave in to base desires
Witness him now sitting on a throne of fire
material wealth can't buy divine blessing
and life without intention is just time wasting
He would build the best of houses later
with his son, who for the pilgrims catered

But the devil never ceases his deeds
always interfering with spiritual needs
A new religion comes, only to be corrupted
though through it man should be perfected
And so consider the story of seven sleepers
Who felt the new Christian faith becoming weaker
Attacked on one side by open enemies
and fighting from within potential blasphemy
Unable to live double lives of pain
they secretly sought their Lord in the cave
and were made to sleep for generations
witness His power over His creations
and then they woke to see a new land
For time is but relative in His hand
Tired of this world, they asked to sleep again,
and now forever in eternal slumber remain

Years later, the world failed one more time
and Hijaz was then the scene of crime
The beautiful and best of houses desecrated,
idols of wood and stone venerated
Exiled was prophethood's own seal
As he tried to divine words reveal
To return, years later, and clean the city
and on the oppressors of old, take pity.
And then they entered the holiest of holies
- Who entered?
The praised one*
And him of high rank**
Only they entered -
And then they entered the holiest of holies
And restored it to its former glory

Time has moved on, as is it's way
And we worship other idols today
Not made of stone, or wood, or bone
Yet still trying to fill the empty heart's hole
Gold, silver, women, children, land, houses
Fame, celebrity, possessions, power, and more.
Different idols for different times
Yet one intention, just to blind.
Make no mistake;
When the Awaited One returns,
And his followers emerge...
When the time comes, big or small,
The idols will fall...the idols will fall.

*Muhammad (SAWW)
**Ali (AS)

Reading List v2.0

Ok, I've gone and redone my reading list. Not in terms of content, though I have updated to include some recent reads that I've finished, but in terms of how it's laid out. I think it's simpler to have just 3 columns now - my top faves (max 20-odd), other recommended reads, and what I have yet to read.

Check it out

Analytics

Google are the best analytics company in the world today. It's how they can serve the right results for your search, and how they make money by placing the correct adverts next to your search. The key to good analytics? Mine a huuuuge amount of data, and analyse it properly. Some pretty sophisticated algorithms are involved. And they're always collecting more and more data, which has people worried about their privacy, though those who are worried should simply just stop using google as their search engine, and stop using other google products like gmail and the like. But that's a different story.

Google also own Blogger, and own YouTube, which again makes it easy for them to collect large amounts of analytics data and effectively monetise it. But it also means users of these sites get an incredible amount of statistical goodness as well, if they choose to accept it. For example, my videos on youtube have been watched more than 17,000 times, and I can tell that Dua Yastasheer is more popular than the kasida. Also I have demographic viewing info for males and females (roughly 50-50 split), and by country (top 7 countries: US, UK, Canada, Australia, Pakistan, Tanzania & Mauritius).

What's interesting is that only now have I noticed that you can do the same for this blog. Normally, I wouldn't give that much thought, because whilst I want people to benefit from my videos as much as possible, in which case many viewings is ostensibly a positive, this is a semi-private collection of musings and oddments, so quantity matters not so much.

However, one stat did catch my eye - visitors from abroad. It's a consequence of the net that the world is now a lot smaller, and this is no less here. The majority of my hits are from the UK, and most are probably down to myself, but I have had some visits from the US (I think I know who that is), from Australia (ditto), from the Ukraine (no idea) and from Norway (not a clue who that is). All visitors are welcome, and I hope that my writings are of value to any and all that stumble across my little corner of the web.

It is too easy to get absorbed (and self absorbed) with the analytics of how many hits I get, or the most popular posts on this blog, so I won't bother with all that. I don't see myself using this feature more than once every three months, purely out of curiosity. I think it is very cool though, and if you have a blogger account, check it out - you might be fascinated by what you get. If you don't, check out your settings - your provider might have the same feature.

Eid

All good things have to end (actually, everything has to end), and the Month of Ramadhan is no different. We say our farewell to the blessed month today (or yesterday, or tomorrow), and celebrate the passing of 30 days of spiritual benefit.

I miss it already, but if it were here everyday, then being humans, I'm sure we would devalue it - I know I would. So it is good that it is gone, but also not good that it is gone, and I hope and pray to live at least long enough to see the next Eid (If my prayer is answered, I will pray for the same thing next Eid, and so on).

Eid Mubarak to you all. I hope the month has been transformative and full of blessings, and ask that you remember me in your prayers.

...

How do you tell if your heart is hard?
The Hadiths mention one primary sign
Not being able with tears to part
As too many sins block heavenly flight
Other signs are present as well
Not fearing to sin under the sun,
Not fearing the great fire of hell,
But internally, this is the main one
For in considering His power and grace,
At least our sins should make us weep
Still no?
Then wretched surely is our state
And our hearts are indeed asleep

But if His might wets your eyes
And His mercy causes more to rise
Then rejoice twice
Rejoice, for your heart is still alive

...

My soul was in a prison
Locked with chains of my own making
But they were long enough
To allow me to move in my small circles
Without feeling constrained
The illusion of freedom
And with such I remained unaware
And would have continued forever
But the best of months came
With the best of blessings
And slowly I woke to my ugly truth
And began to wish for real freedom
So that my soul could fly to my Lord
And follow in the footsteps of the Blessed Ones

And I prayed
And it happened
And I was given two gifts

The weakest chain shattered
Into a million pieces
Trembling at the might of my Lord
Then on the holiest night
I saw with the eyes of my heart
The best of paths to my goal
And was told to be patient

I still remain in my prison
Under chains that are stronger still
But now I am free from any illusion
And have no doubt in my heart
One by one, these chains will snap
Like twigs in the hands of a child
And like a bird that was caged and is now freed
My soul will rush to meet it's Lord.