NOTHING REALLY

I have been remembering snapshots of what I had written in my MA & PhD statment of purpose. One statment I always remembered writing in all my applications in whatever field I was applying to either finance, history Masters, and later my PhD, is this statment:

'When an old villager in a part of south africa was asked how he would plan to help his country develop and contribute in changing his people's life, his answer was: 'I will build a mosque.'

Comments

Alina said…
I remember that in 10th grade (second year of highschool) we used to studu Mihai Eminescu in our literature classes. There were about a dozen poems (he wrote hundreds) and some proze. And all the ellaborated comments I wrote started in the same way...Lame, not like your statement!
7/26/2005 01:10:00 pm
Alina said…
BTW, a lot o churches have been built in Romania lately. Too bad we don't focus on the spirituality of a holly place. That's why they are only new buildings to most...
7/26/2005 01:11:00 pm
haal said…
Holy place.... the universe is suppose to be the holy place....it is just because we like tangible things that we blocked an area and called it holy when in reality everything is holy--just another human I-ness!
7/26/2005 04:36:00 pm
Al Sharief said…
Was the PhD in "Holy Finance History"? :)

Even on currancy there is the "In God We Trust" and often some picture of a "Temple" or a God Figure/Ruller/Presdident...

"human I-ness!" ??
7/26/2005 05:46:00 pm
Al Sharief said…
Can NOT be tha I alone ...

it should be "holy" not haal

Look who is writing!
7/26/2005 07:14:00 pm
haal said…
Didnt get ur last comment Al-sharief.

BTW, the 'I' is 'Egoness', right!
7/26/2005 07:23:00 pm
Alina said…
Yeah, the universe used to be seen as a holy place. I really don't know how it got to a blocked area...Maybe the need for a refuge, for some defense against who knows what. I for one really think the wilderness is by far holier than a church where people pay sometimes more attention to mundane actions than spiritual guidance or praying.
7/27/2005 10:55:00 am
Al Sharief said…
The Villager
vision & motive to build a mosque
can not be egoness alone...& you 're Right he needs the "...tangible things..." and other humans to validate his "Help Project" contribution.
7/27/2005 07:27:00 pm
Dalulla said…
It is true that Holyness is not confined Only to a certain place.

When i read what you wrote about the answer of the African villiger, i compreheded what he said in the following manner:

Building a mosque would encourage Unity and gatherings for one cause, in peace, equality and having one aim, and that is precisely why Allah encourages for group prayers in Mosques. To encourage people to feel they are all one. that they are all equals regardless of their social status or background or race. To make people feel humble towards one another and many other values which in turn is supposed to strengthen societies therefore help in development.

This villiger's simple answer holds many positive meanings and values (in my opinion that is). I liked it very much.
7/29/2005 03:32:00 pm
haal said…
Yes. This is what I think his answer meant to him...and it is simple yet powerful. It is what his heart told him, and knew.

It is good at a start if everyone goes to this mosque having this intention in mind...but intentions are not everything. It no doubt is very powerful, but it is just a tool that needs to be picked and used in the right way.
7/29/2005 03:41:00 pm
Dalulla said…
Yes it is a very strong tool, and if people begin to understand it well, and understand what it could do to our societies, they will race for it on a regular basis.

The problem is, people are drifiting away from spirtuality and religious guidance, and are becoming more busy with worldly matters only, thinking that something like the daily prayers for instance shall slow them down from getting things done, while in truth it doesn't and never would.

The spiritual connection between a person and God itself has a positive impact on worldly matters. It brings baraka (blessings) to everything we do.
7/29/2005 04:10:00 pm
haal said…
But again, you need not stop at charging the battery. You need to put the battery in something, otherwise the spiritual filling-in, will be another mask that used the scared mantle to hide inside.
7/29/2005 04:15:00 pm
Dalulla said…
Can you please clarify. I didn't understand what you are trying to say.
7/29/2005 04:28:00 pm
haal said…
Good intentions are not enough.
7/29/2005 05:16:00 pm
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WISH

...i would say how much i miss this presence in my life and situation. But I can't. ...i would say how many times i space out with my thinking in many situation and know that it would be different had this presence been here. But it is high expectation. ...i would have a home to go back to, feel supported and secured in the midst of any day-to-day encounters... knowing I have someone with him i shed off all my masks and knows me well without explaining. But proves impossible. ...i would play and giggle. dream and plan. progress and move steadily. according to god's plan and orders. soul level. supported by this presence. But it is hard. ...we would talk and talk. discuss and discuss. learn and unlearn. teach and receive. smile in awe. in appreciation. of one another's opinion and sharing. But is never attained. ...we would share share share. listen listen listen. understand and empathize. contain and hug to rest and include. silently affirm and invite to a safe shore to cry
Read more

ISLAMIC SHOP

Never thought I was going to enter this islamic store, or so does everyone call it in the area. Al-tawheed we al-Nour. It was quite an experience. I am heading to France this week so M. asked me for hunting pants that she can wear under her cloths in winter. She wanted them in pure cotton, and pointed me to this tawheed place. So, there I went. Upon entering the place, I thought I was transformed into this new world. A hive, except it is a lazy one. Only crowded. All the sellers are men with the praying sign on their forehead, some with long beards, the plupart majority wearing greyish short pants and weird colour shirts. You can't miss but feel that they all look the same. Of course, the sound of 'iza'et el coran al kareem' was screaming everywhere. Coran, ahadeeth, preaching, all what you want. So I headed to the women section, expecting the sellers to be women. Veiled women. Munaqaba women. Whatever. It is women section for god's sake. Never expected a man to s
Read more

CAN IT BE

I was reading Atallah's when I found these words. انا لا أشكو، ففى الشكوى إنحناء و أنا نبض عروقى كبرياء by Kamel el-Shinawy. Can one really live without complaining? I don't know if we can do that. Someone always tells me that you should know exactly where to direct your complains. Don't waste your time asking homage from the servants, go to the owner. Go directly to the source. He would know how to help, otherwise it is a waste of time. I agreed back then, but still had problems. Now I don't agree, and still have the same problems. I tend to conclude that these problems are my destined luggage that I need to get rid of but they are deeply rooted in me. I had to take a dive down. And yes, there is Boss, who isn't really a Boss. P.S. Some of the comments exchanged down here are meant to be funny. Nothing personal. Please continue with the discussion. My pleasure.
Read more