Accidental Epiphany @tasmiq - Tumblr Blog

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 24 Muharram 1448 AH (10 July 2026)

As I learn to be an instrument of Allah, He completes His eternal message in the moment! It is a continuation of what was opened in my heart last week, leaving me waxing lyrical lately of: Subhana'Allah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar (Divine glory and praise because Allah is the greatest)!

As a differently-abled mother of your 10-year-old twin hood, I can't express enough gratitude for your freely expressing your hearts, "Ammu, it's too deep, but we love it!"

😅🫠🫶

Transcending Shirk-e Khafi

24 Muharram 1448 AH

By Tasmi Bodhanya

(Inspired by her spiritual mentors—guides who nurture the body and mind, increasingly propelled by the heart, In shā' Allāh, Yā Rabb!)

Yā 'Azīz, Yā Ghafūr.

We live in awe and reverence

of the Creative Designer,

the Originator of all that is.

Yā Latīf, Yā Khabīr.

Awareness begins

in the simple subtlety of it all.

Within every outward sign

lies an inward one.

For the universal message of the Qur'an

to remain alive across every age,

it must be received through the language of the heart.

Allah's truths are magnificently simple—

clear, straight, and ever-present.

Our inclination, however, is often toward winding paths,

becoming spiritually intoxicated by the depths of Divine wonder—

a state known as Fanā.

Yet our aspiration is Baqā:

to become instruments of Allah's will,

abiding in spiritual permanence—

a life lived with, for, and through the Divine.

Returning to the present moment,

Whatever we do,

let it be done with presence, connection, and devotion,

so that every perception and every action

becomes an appreciation of Allah's limitless creativity.

To recognise Allah's nearness within oneself

is to journey towards the One.

"O Allah, plant Lā ilāha illā Allāh firmly within our hearts."

As our attention shifts away from the self's endless wants and desires,

our capacity to truly benefit ourselves and others begins to blossom.

As we continue sanding and polishing

the mirror of the heart,

transcending Shirk-e Khafi,

we gradually find wholeness.

In mindful remembrance of Tawḥīd,

self-reflection deepens.

The heart, the mind, and the body

begin to move as one harmonious system,

cultivating courage, strength, balance, and grace.

Yā Raḥmān, Yā Raḥīm,

May every transformation within us

become a source of benefit for the world around us.

Whether through the rhythms of the seasons,

our daily spiritual devotions,

the disciplined immersion of martial arts,

or the sincere pursuit of knowledge—

every practice that elevates the human being

should become one motion among many,

repeated with intention

until remembrance becomes permanence.

For it is through remembering

our essential reconnection

to our eternal reality,

through the lifelong commitment

to polishing the ever-clouded mirror of the heart,

that refinement unfolds.

Then we come to realise

that perfection belongs only to the Source.

And in that humble realisation

lies the path to transcending Shirk-e Khafi.

We must end our Khuthbah with Bodhanya gratitude for Allah transcending even our expected experience of the colonial construct of "Natal Lion Park" during our winter holiday 🦁

ABOVE: Thanks to the accommodation of differently-abled people, your Ammu could fawn over the sassy chicken and friendly goats over ~Derek Morgan~, ~Shere Khan~, oh, Richard Parker, silly! 🐅😆

Huu 🌬️ for our experience of Allah outside and inside of us, these holidays!

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 17 Muharram 1448 AH (3 July 2026)

Post the dreaded June 30th deadline, we declare firstly, Auzu billahi minash shaitan rajeem, Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan, In the name of Allah, the most merciful and the Source of mercy)! Secondly, WE ARE MIGRANTS - which we screamed as per Thameez Bhai's logic - along with our very own PROTEST BALLAD (on the dreaded June 30th "March and March so-called citizen-led advocacy movement," that initially chose to protest against illegal migration) 🙄

We actually said:

I AM A MIGRANT!

I CAME FROM DURBAN TO PIETERMARITZBURG!

I CAME FROM THE LOUNGE TO BED!

June 30th Testimony 🫰🫶✌️

From days up to the dreaded D-day, we sang our beautifully crafted Protest Ballad against their daft "protest" which is haunting - at the same time - because of the question: What can truly be done? When the whole world, beyond South Africa, is TRULY SCREAMING for a new and just economic order in place of its current capitalistic reality. IT WILL BE EYVALLAH (AS ENTRUSTED UPON ALLAH)!

https://youtu.be/eTt1BFh-T-g?si=q5hVQJO6QoeV8tTZ

Spiritually, our Tariqa (specific school of Sufism) has been 'armed' with spiritual defense artillery for the month of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar) into 1448. Subhana'Allah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar (Divine glory and praise for being the Greatest)!

Anne (our spiritual mother, Shaykha Müzeyyen Vargonen Ansari) asked us to contemplate Shirk-e khafi for the week. This was your Ammu's contemplation therein, which she begins by seeking forgiveness from Allah for possibly, unconsciously, wanting to be seen, therein:

Ya Ghafur Ya 'Afu

SHIRK-E KHAFI

~ Tasmi Bodhanya inspired by her spiritual mentors: 17 Muharram, 1448 AH

Infamously identified as things hidden:

Whether shirk, polytheism, ego, or pride,

Against Tawhīd affirming Allah's Oneness.

Even more serious a sin than futile idol worship,

It is unwittingly associating partners of oneself with the One!

Where superiority is claimed because of oneself.

Referring to acts, intentions, or attitudes;

Whether unintentional or subtle,

Where intentions get mixed up;

With wanting approval, status, or holding reliance on other than Allah -

Whether placing someone or something: alongside Hu!

Outwardly righteous;

And certainly not idol worship as it penetrates deeper,

Within one's intention and heart!

Common traps are showing off;

In worship, service, and charity -

Seeking praise and affirmation.

Placing reliance on the means over its Source.

Whose Divine Will ordained the abilities and opportunities, in the first place!

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ warned that it is “more subtle than the footsteps of an ant.”

Implying that even sincere believers should check their intentions,

And, keep their heart focused on Allah alone!

To avoid Jihad ul-Akber;

The greatest war of the self,

How does one maintain self-vigilance of oneself?

Before any deed, ask: "Who am I doing this for?"

Pray for protection from this subtle and nefarious force.

Intentionally hide some of your good deeds!

Remember Allah as the Source of all results.

Do regular self-audits: "Did I do anything today just to be seen?"

Seek forgiveness for unconscious errors,

Consciously be grateful for the sincere heart that worries about Shirk-e khafi!

🌬️❤️‍🩹

Jumu'ah Sohbet: Day 10 Muharram 1448 AH (26 June 2026)

Without adieu, with a grateful and heavy heart, do we arrive to renew our vow as lovers and perceivers of Hu (Divine essence) into now and beyond, insha'Allah, Ya Rabbal 'Alameen!

The Mirror Returns

~ Tasmi Bodhanya

"Make room for boredom," the sage says.

Yet what arrived through this so-called disability was not emptiness,

but Light upon Light.

By transforming one's itchy feet into a mystical invitation of the moment,

Whether birdlife or other life-forms;

Animate and most amusingly, inanimate ones too,

began to answer in quiet presence.

A particular mystery of the moment,

Is Allah's manifestation of Kun!

Of Be!

From the former abandoned field of art dismissed as vain play;

But, only to be brought back to it,

And most mystically to the martial art of Silat!

With deeper Sufic mirroring of it as self-reproachment -

Where one simply cannot throw the baby out with the bath water.

In boredom, in solitude,

We see Nūr ala Nūr,

As Light upon Light!

Transforming inability,

Unto an ability to perceive Hu.

Our Essence, within and without, our mad existence in this world!

Above: A week-long meditation for your Mimi, upon the Banyan tree, a mystical wonder of ours and based on this earlier contemplation struck by Shaykh Nishaat.

Wahdat al-Wujūd

By Tasmi Bodhanya ~ Inspired by Shaykh Nishaat's Sohbet based on Shaykh Taner and Shaykha Müzeyyen Vargonen Ansari's hikma (wisdom)

To experience the Unity of Existence

is to walk the fine line between two visions:

the absence, yet the presence, of the Divine

— neither wholly the same, nor wholly apart.

The One is both transcendent and immanent,

weaving through past, present, and future,

spanning the vast scales of existence,

from the smallest breath to the cosmic whole.

It is like the Banyan tree—

its roots in the unseen Source,

its trunk in the present,

its branches stretching toward futures yet to bloom.

In the dance of multiplicity

rests an eternal Oneness.

In conclusion, yearning a renewal of the sacred mission of time immemorial:

Ya Wadud Ya Salaam Ya Jami Ya Nafi

ABBU'S DAY 1448 AH (2026)

PS- edited to Paupat's original Super-Dad! 🥰

Jumu'ah Sohbet on 3 Muharram 1448: 19 June 2026

We were again reminded of the opportunities that Allah provides to reform ourselves; whether every year as in the ten days of Muharram that we're currently in, one of four sacred months, or the moment we find ourselves in.

Just as we recently realized that eternal damnation of Jahannam (Hell) doesn't exist, neither does true death! It is just as Shaykh Mir related last Saturday, "Go and teach them to overcome fear, and not religion." Our fears affect much; in our certainty by increasing anxiety, and altering our perception of life and death, and suffering. However, the love of Allah overcomes the compulsion of fear we cause ourselves by our ideas of religion. Guru Rennie beautifully reminded us that Allah even says there should be no compulsion in religion, as noted in the holy Qur'an.

The next world will, therefore, be our earned reality with this world merely as a passage or corridor. Subhana'Allah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar (Divine glory, gratitude, and where He remains our greatest Source and continued Force)!

Our fears, grief, and guilt actually belong to the past. We should live in the present instead and simply surrender to Allah, ideally within or without, our choices. How do we know that we're progressing in Allah's path? We increasingly become fearless of meeting our Hu (Divine Essence). As we strive for peace and bliss in the present moment and it is where we perceive our lives through Allah now, and in the Hereafter.

Shukran Ya Allah (Divine gratitude) for the clarity and certainty of existence gained by being nestled in our Sufi Tariqa (school of Sufism) ... Huu 🌬️

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 12 June 2026

This was inspired by Anne's (our spiritual mother, Shaykha Müzeyyen Vargonen Ansari) last Saturday Sohbet which happened as your 10th birthday blessing was unfolding, followed by an intense mind/brain-numbing Silat session with Guru Rennie, who declared that your accident survivor Ammu is akin to "Ibu Tasmi" (female martial arts grandmaster in Silat) 🤭🥹🌬️

It is where one was left in deeper contemplation of: "You receive what you perceive," as Light upon Light, in spite and despite happenstance of our current reality ☺️ This may help its understanding ...

Mirror Mirror

~ Tasmi Bodhanya, a kashf (unveiling) of the moment

Light upon Light is received,

As it is perceived.

Al-Mu'min as The Infusor of Faith.

Allah’s Zat is everywhere, intensified where Zikr is made.

This simple haqq transforms perspective and purpose:

We need Divine love to perceive Divine countenance.

Ya Wadud — the Loving — is undeniable.

Despite a world steeped in pain that is frequently self-inflicted,

And all that lies beyond our inability,

One perceives the One

And receives mercy in unfolding moments.

Yet how do we focus solely on Allah when we're told:

One believer is a mirror to another,

When we are made to be empathetic Muhammadis,

Echoing: “My Ummah, my Ummah”?

Such is the existential tension of faith.

We receive what we perceive.

A hunger for life’s subtleties

Becomes a miraculous unfolding,

Where even misfortune deepens gratitude.

Despite what I cannot,

There remains what I can.

Tawbah is Divine acceptance, repentance, and return —

Perhaps even our willing self-atonement.

Still, our incompleteness appears

In the Mirror of Truth.

“I am because we are;”

Yet only reunion with our Divine essence

Can make us whole.

The human dilemma is to confront

What we become when disconnected —

Not through ego or worldly striving,

But through Divine reunion,

In the moment and the endpoint.

There, completion is manifested,

Insha’Allah, Ya Rabb!

💔🌬️❤️‍🩹🪞🤍

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 5 June 2026

Bismillahi tawakkaltu 'ala Allah, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (In the name of Allah, I/we place, my/our trust in Allah, and there is no might nor power except with Allah) on the precipice of your 10th twinnie birthday, Pauppy and Paupat 🌬️

There's no perfect time than now, to share what was inspired in me by Hu 🌬️ (our Divine essence) ~ through Khalifa Rubina of Quran Contemplation, Guru Rennie of Silat, as everyone in our spiritual chain! And, even our fellow striving outer revolutionaries of TIP (Taking Islam to the People) ✊

EXISTENTIAL QUANDARIES ANSWERED

~ Tasmi Bodhanya, 5 June 2026

A multitude of complexities, choices, and understandings must be navigated in life—

from the macro, mind-numbing world of pluralistic politics

to the deceitful and deeply penetrating micro-politics of the nafs.

The simplest wisdoms are often too obvious to be accepted as definitive truths.

Yet here is a flash of the obvious:

Wake up to the Divine Light of An-Nur!

Death, for instance, is not something to fear.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un—

To Allah we belong, and to Him we return.

Be here with Allah.

Choose rightful action now.

Strive to be among the Ulul Albab—

people of mature discernment and understanding, insha’Allah.

Armed with a deeper spiritual connection through Aqim al-Wuddah,

we awaken our loving connection to the Source of our being in every moment.

Ultimately, only Allah truly knows, however much we may strive to understand.

We ought to remain perennial students,

always willing to work with and support those striving toward goodness.

At the beginning of life, one learns through the structured pedagogy of regulating social systems—

whether grounded in hard science,

the discipline of traditional martial arts,

or the just humanity exemplified by our beloved Prophet (PBUH).

To gauge the stages of spiritual progress as they unfold through one’s way of life:

We observe Shariah, the exoteric laws governing the mechanics of life.

Then comes Tariqa, the esoteric path, where purification of the inner heart becomes essential to its proper functioning.

Through this, we may attain Haqiqa—the realization of Ultimate Truth.

And finally, Ma‘rifa—Divine wisdom and intuition beyond intellectual comprehension.

What truly counts is the return to our Source of existence—

from the beginning of time,

through the fleeting processes and relative moments of life,

unto its end:

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 29 May 2026

Shukran Ya Allah (Divine gratitude) for revealing the essence of Eid ul-Adha as an information dense poem. It was sprung from Silat with Guru Rennie, Qur'an Contemplation with Khalifa Rubina Ghoor, lived experience on the day of Eid itself, along with our social circle that are as deep in their thinking, as Allah's ocean 🌊 Allahu Akbar wa lillahi hamd (Allah is the Greatest, and all praise is due to Him)!

REALISING SACRIFICE AS EMANCIPATION

By Tasmi Bodhanya, 28 May 2026

The question remains:

What are we willing to sacrifice, at any given moment?

To surrender for Allah—

this is the essence of sacrifice in Eid ul-Adha:

the willingness to release what binds us

for the sake of what liberates us.

Islam unfolds in many layers,

reflecting love, light, justice, balance, peace, and truth.

Within the spiritual path of Tasawwuf (Sufism),

present through our actions and intentions,

we are guided back toward our very Source.

The Qur’an, Hadith, Shahada, Shariah, Tariqa, Haqiqa,

and the sacred bonds of connection

become pathways of deeper knowing—

dense portals of meaning,

revealed according to our inner and outer capacities for awareness.

Through them, we begin to perceive

Allah’s matrix of Haqq al-Yaqeen—

truth with certainty.

In this remembrance,

the soul becomes a place of safety and stillness.

Here, worldly attachments begin to loosen,

for what we seek is already given

by the Source of everything.

And in sacrificing our attachments,

we come to reflect the qualities of our Source:

goodness, grace, love, light, patience, mercy—

striving to forgive,

as the Most Forgiving forgives.

The secret of sacrifice

is the sustenance it brings to the spirit, insha’Allah.

Its mystical wisdom lies in knowing

what to release, and when.

Yet this understanding unfolds

through trust in Allah’s process—

after surrendering

to the sacred moment of sacrifice.

https://youtu.be/8TXkBzsxiCI?si=Jphu5zlGoLxGcrOj

Above: What Shall We Sacrifice? | A Global Eid Anthem | JollyGul

Eid ul-Adha is about sacrifice, yes. But that is symbolic for sacrifice of our egos resulting in peace and social harmony desperately needed at this moment. Let these children elaborate 🌬️

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 22 May 2026

Based on Anne's (our spiritual mother Shaykha Müzeyyen Vargonen Ansari's) personal, inner inquisition - my heart answers:

Inner Wings

“People receive what they perceive.”

Ya Latif, Ya Khabir—

O Subtle One, O All-Aware.

All my life,

I yearned for subtlety,

for the hidden reality beneath the veil—

yet only in my most arrested becoming

did I begin to receive.

Not through striving,

but surrender—

intention laid bare,

until the floodgates opened,

and consciousness poured like an ocean

from Allah 🌊

Now I perceive

love woven through the Qur’an,

wisdom speaking in wholeness.

Even in movement,

Silat becomes remembrance—

not merely defense,

but devotion embodied.

I am drawn, first and always,

toward Allah—

a heart inclining naturally

to Divine Love,

Aqim al-Wuddah.

In studying Sufism,

truth becomes felt,

not borrowed.

What I practice,

I begin to know.

Beyond the automated world,

another reality breathes—

where inner wings awaken 🪽

and I am carried,

propelled by Huu,

the Divine Essence 🌬️

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 15 May 2026

My first body of water representing oceanic insight, which shut my sorry-state existence up regarding our gross ever-recurring human existence, happened via Quran Contemplation and Action Session with Khalifa Rubina Ghoor. V 15-16 clearly says that every arrogant dictator (as Hitler, Colonial rulers, our modern-day evils as Netanyahu and co.) will be deposed and humiliated. I heard Shaykh Mir, who often spiritually challenges me, "Why worry, Tasmi?"

The second body of water was potable or fresh water, which miraculously exists aside the salt water, through Guru Rennie's spiritual heart that reflected these soul-searing pieces of Haqqal Yaqeen (Allah's certain truths):

- The restrictive Sufi Diet and different forms of fasting are not about consuming less but being conscious of what we actually do consume. Life generally is about being conscious and mindful of everything in it.

- Increased integration, of all our various parts; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual - leads to the greater ease of our actions.

- How do we avoid bad situations? It is by developing mindfulness, awareness, perception, and trusting our instincts. Avoiding situations is being like our teacher Hazrat Ali (AS), "The best fight is the one that you don't get into!" You are then basically trying to deescalate and diffuse circumstances around you.

- When attacked spontaneously, adrenalization can land you in the fight-or-flight reaction or get you in a state of hyperfocus and awareness for 30 seconds - 2 minutes before you crash. Silat or any martial arts training helps to modulate reactions so that you keep the focus longer and crash less harder.

- We learn the physical science of Silat in order to be merciful which is the core of "Sufi Chivalry," as our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that, "When justice is in my hands, I approach you with mercy!" Sufi Chivalry is therefore an awareness of the level of nafs of those around us.

It is why we must be kind and compassionate firstly, as Ebu Rita (Guru Rennie's Instructor) says, "Smile before (having to engage) killing." In Silat, you learn to disable by catching your assailant before they fall, and before actually killing them. Enabling one to manage the spirit of calmess to practice restraint and prevent a flaring up into a whirlwind of violence.

The third and totally unexpected stream of consciousness came from your Aunty Michelle, my physio and insha'Allah, future neighbor in Jannah (Heaven).

She put me in spiritual awe of South Africa's national flower, the Protea! I asked what makes a national flower its specific one ... after telling her about the resilient plant life of the Water-lily of Bangladesh like Congo 🪷, the Hibiscus 🌺 of Sudan, and the political Poppy ❤️ of Palestine, and my obsession with the South African Protea flower (on our current table cloth, lamp shade, paintings etc).

Your Aunty Michelle said that Protea need to be burnt by fire or exposed to smoke in order to germinate 🌊 That only reinforced Allah's Rahman and Rahim (The Merciful One who is its Source). My spiritual instinct tells me that fires or misfortunes or challenges or even Jahannam (Hell) is not a form of eternal damnation, that Allah can actually alter its reality because it leads to growth 🌱

Above: Evidence of nature's fire-loving instinct along with Pauppy's find from a school tree 🌳 Both reinforcing Allah's inherent love 🤍

Subhana'Allah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu Akbar, for I am learning most about life when I am least able in it:

🌬️❤️‍🩹

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 8 May 2026

As a glorious affirmation of our recent insights by Anne (our spiritual mother, Shaykha Müzeyyen Vargonen Ansari), she was indeed correct about our symbiotic relationship and companionship shared with nature 💡🌬️ Here, is our injured kitty Leo, constantly needing your Ammu's attention in particular this past week. It cemented Anne's wisdom, who remarked that "We are part of nature and of it!"

Post-accident, I could never have imagined my iman (conviction in Islam) being anchored by a Silat teacher, Guru Rennie Saunders, when I am least able to physically participate. The grace of Guru Rennie is palpable in how he approaches the "information density" of Silat, as iman itself. It involves embracing lifelong learning as a constant student with a willingness to return to the basics. It manifests the love of engagement as a dialectic two-way method, which generates ongoing learning by asking questions and resonance gained in the answers received. As your Ammu has gained reputation for being one of the two most vociferous learners, along with your Gussein Bhai (brother)!

Above: Image demonstrating some of the Silat moves that the Silat scribe is unable to physically attempt but who is physically intuitive enough to describe, as a senior martial artist of Wushin Tode-Jutsu with your Sempai Mama (maternal uncle who remains its main instructor) prior to our accident ...

Khalifa Rubina Ghoor has been the other anchor in iman, post-accident. In our weekly Quran Contemplation and Action Sessions, she referred to the complexity of the Arabic language where a root word can have up to fourteen different meanings. For example, one of the earliest English translations of "taqwa" translated as "fear" changes the whole energy and frequency of the Quran. Whereas our beloved Shaykh Taner translated "taqwa" as being conscious of Allah, self-vigilant, making Allah the priority in one's life, and at times, as being in awe of Allah. As Quran translations occurred during their times, they may have lasted 150 years after their genesis, and others would subsequently upgrade it. With Arabic being such a deep language, upgrade, refers to unpacking its sheer depth.

Below: An image of our beloved Shaykh Taner and Anne, fondly caressing their almost decade-long initiative embarked with our Shaykh Nishaat, Khalifa Rubina, your Abbu, Maryam Bhen (Sister), Thameez Bhai and Aunty Abida - as just some of who are noted - for having contributed to its being, Subhana'Allah (Divine glory)!

In conclusion, my eternally transformed view of Allah, has been as a force of Positivity within our fitrah (natural positive inner disposition gained from the beginning of time) 🌬️ Come what may, the power is ours to wield.

It is where we experience joy in letting go of what was (our recent unsuccessful science experiments), enjoying what is (a reunion with Uncle Kaj, Aunty Gamieda and family), and having faith in what will be (our weekly Jumu'ah Zikr virtually to connect with our Johannesburg-based spiritual family). Insha'Allah and Alhamdulillah (Divine willing as our hearts with Divine praise)!

ABOVE & BELOW: An image of our flopped science experiment which materialised our childhood fascination with rainbows that we honoured with beautiful posters, Alhamdulillah!

Jumu'ah Khutbah: 1 May 2026

Above: An image from Japan's annual Cherry blossom festival.

Bismillah to today's short, sweet, but deep Jumu'ah Khutbah 🌊 It is based on the lost art of truly witnessing Allah's wonders in the moment.

It was after Wakil Shuaib shared his recent overwhelming encounter of the endless beauty of Japan's cherry blossoms during his holiday trip there 🌸 And, subsequently, to China to witness Allahistan with your Thameez Bhai's former roommate, Wakil Shuaib's younger brother - Ahmed!

It was when Anne (our spiritual mother, Shaykha Müzeyyen Vargonen Ansari) helpfully offered advice of contemplating on a complex reality to learn Allah's wisdom, we ought to yearn: "Ya Latif [Oh Subtle and Kind One] Ya Khabir [Oh All-Aware One] 34 times."

It is what your Ammu often faces when she embarks on depicting nature. As Mimi's latest art project of the Banyan tree 🌳 It is as overwhelming in its depth and searing intellect as her soul and mind is, but hark, I am armed with a strategy! 😉 The strategy may also help to justify why I am worthy of being wed to her Dr B 🥸 ... my very husband and your Abbu!

What's more, artist Sam Hamper reckons that the "Lost Art of Looking," or more deeply reframed, as witnessing Allah's wonders by our Anne. We can, in fact, move beyond the photographed representation to its subtle and textured reality by visual depiction of it LIVE in the MOMENT 😯🫡🤍🌬️💚 Insha'Allah, Ya Rabbal 'Alameen (Divine willing as our hearts, Oh Lord of the worlds / universes)!

https://youtu.be/xdTTfZ0EZcc?si=y3bOrHs_thfTrEBy

Above: Artist Sam Hamper's challenge to master the art of looking or rather WITNESSING, which I feel better equipped to embrace after receiving Anne's spiritual advice.

In conclusion, I absolutely cherish Paupat's courage for embracing his own artistic skills in depicting Allahistan in the moment, and Pauppy's sense of humor in titling her artistic creations - as a hodge-podge child of the universes. Here is her Bengali, 🦟 😄 "Mosha!"

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 24 April 2026

Our Saturday Sohbet (spiritual conversation) with Anne (our spiritual mother, Shaykha Müzeyyen Vargonen Ansari) renewed our love of Mother Earth, at numerous levels and across different stages of time. This included your Abbu's beautiful collaboration with AI to depict the moment as the cherry on our Sohbet 🤭🤍🌬️🍒

Anne spoke about companion planting. In the six months that she's been away from her New York (Albany) home, she departed from her thriving Olive Tree aside her withering Fig Tree. But subsequently, she noticed the Olive Tree growing towards the Fig Tree, and now both are thriving. Subhana'Allah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu Akbar (Divine glory and Divine praise for revealing Allah's grandeur)!

Above: Our poetic Avocado Tree that was previously barren into her second year of fruiting in 1447 / 2026.

I commented that this companionship even extends to other life forms because I often perform our daily devotions while immersed in awe and wonderment at the biodiversity which accentuates our Avocado Tree's beauty 🌿🤍🌬️💚 However, after 7 years of us living on this land, we had thought she was barren. Wonderously, she regained her fruiting ability, noticeably, last year.

Painted above is your Mimi's birthday present of the same Avocado Tree that birthed avocado after almost 7 years of us living here. Its spirit, along with your Mimi's, infused in me the reality of "Huwa Al Hayyu Al Qayyum (Allah / He is the Ever-Living One, The Eternal Caregiver)."

Our hearts say that Allah's spiritual energy was reciprocated, where we're seeing her second year of fruiting with four spotted avocados, so far 🥑 Just as the blossoming of my former artistic abilities and a new means of connection to other life-forms 💚🤲 The sweet irony is that I am a Traumatic Brain Injured (TBI) survivor with weakened ability of fine-motor skills. It's how I know my revived artistic abilities are entirely Allah's ever pervading love 🤍🌬️❤️‍🩹

Not only has your Ammu's artistic abilities received Divine countenance but her contemplative compositions, too. Shukran Ya Allah (Divine gratitude)!

Sura Fussilat Verse 11

~ borrowed inspiration by sister Moefidah from the Qur'an Contemplation and Action Sessions with Khalifa Rubina Ghoor, November 2025

"...The next time we witness nature,

let us ask:

Who is older in time?

What is each being made to witness

according to its stage of existence?

And are we also being witnessed

in our own witnessing?

It is none but Ash-Shāhid,

the True Observing Witness,

Who connects our collective witnessing."

In conclusion, Shukran Ya Allah for your Abbu's incredible ability to wield complexity, in this case - AI, into meaningful art and always as a source of humor 🥸🌬️ Let's see what this page of "Isipingo Times" shows us...

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 17 April 2026

The fact that I live in spite of my blind spiritual background and lack of being is proof of Allah's impartial, all-pervading, and loving reality. It is why we ought to simply surrender to being intentionally aware of Aqim al-Wuddah (our connection to the Source of Love Itself) as the same Nur (Divine light) or Hu 🌬️ (Essence) that lives within every being, animate or inanimate.

During last Saturday Sohbet (spiritual conversation), Shaykh Mir, initially reflected how he was struck by this saying:

"I PRAY GOD, TO RID ME OF GOD!" It inspires us to go beyond our understanding of God that we may have inherited from family or social milieu from our environment or as a result of circumstances faced.

Shaykh Mir added that we progress from Shariah, which is where we learn the rules and regulations of Allah designed to guide us, packed with information, into the level of Tariqa. It is where we consciously choose a specific state of being or path and put to practice what we know. Furthermore, each of us is going to experience or are experiencing Allah in our own ways. Our concept of Allah is currently handicapped in our thoughts and actions unless we transcend it. At one point, he exasperatedly added,

"I know it as pure consciousness; which is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. But how much of it do we experience within ourselves?!

Omniscient (say: om-nish-ent) is a big word that means "all-knowing" or "knowing everything." It is often used to describe God, meaning God knows all things—past, present, and future—at all times. Omnipotent means all-powerful. It is a word used to describe someone who has unlimited power and can do anything they want to do. Omnipresent means being everywhere at the same time, all the time. It comes from two parts: "Omni" (meaning all) and "present" (meaning here).

If we exist just worrying about our own lives or unavoidably are invested in understanding the ongoing war waged by the US of Israel on my country of birth, Iran 😅 It manifests what your Ammu and Nana have admittedly landed acquiring, a worry-wart! Anne (our spiritual mother Shaykha Müzeyyen) has sunken into our consciousness the value of keeping hope in the moment upon the Source of might and power as we ought to, at our lowest, loneliest, and darkest points in life.

Shaykh Mir beautifully clarified;

"... (Spiritual) Practice is there as a discipline that cleans the heart and mind. However, time is of the essence as it passes, our past and future are not real, and the present moment is everything. Irrespective of the sector, tribe, or religion; the spiritual quest is actually very personal ..."

He developed an AI image as a personal reflection on "OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD ~ A JOURNEY FROM CONDITIONING TO REALIZATION."

In conclusion, beyond his incredibly deep reflections, there were very simple haqq (Allah's truth), which embarrasingly dawned only on me this late into my 42-year-young existence because your Abbu says him and your Uncle Saleem have already encountered the lessons 😳

1. When Sufi Mystic, Rabia Basri (Allah preserve her secrets), was seen with a bucket of water and fire upon her possession too, she was asked where she was going. She replied, "I am going to put water in hell and fire in heaven because this is stopping people from growing!"

This is remarking on my very own inherited understanding of God. On being compelled to pray as a youngster, I saw God's restraint in responding to my challenge to prove His existence by simply making the curtain move ahead of me, as a sign for accepting "the truth of secularism" with religion as a moral bluff. I was unconscious of all the everyday signs I was actually experiencing!

2. Shaykh Mir deepened this second point as he recounted how he also read, "You don't need to look for God because when the sun shines or the wind blows, it doesn't distinguish between believers and non-believers!"

There is an unconditional presence as the sun and wind, and we're a part of that consciousness. There is no separation beyond worship and neglect, and there is actually an ever-present and all-pervading energy. God is pure consciousness, eternally impartial; unchanged by worship, or belief ... a Source of energy and existence.

Subhana'Allah (Divine glory), Alhamdulillah (Divine praise), and Allahu Akbar (Allah's greatness is assured) as a delayed ~ no duh (slang for obvious)!

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 10 April 2026

We were most moved by Verses 126-127 near the end of the 128 verses of Sura Nahl (The Bee), Sura 17 of the chronological order, and Sura 16 in the regular order of the Quran. Furthermore, Sura Nahl identifies that patience comes from Allah, which is so precious and useful for everyday life, Aunty Moonira endearingly pointed out. She added that if we remember that patience comes from Allah, we would draw on it more readily!

Khalifa Rubina Ghoor of weekly AQRT Quran Contemplation and Action Sessions added that we're reminded to recite Ya Sabur Ya Latif under unbearable circumstances. We recite it when we need to activate Allah's Sabur (Patience) within ourselves. Always keeping in mind how patient Allah is with us. We yearn Allah's kindness, softness, and ease through Ya Latif. There are so many aspects of our lives that require patience.

However, Allah says that when someone is doing wrong to us, we can retaliate. But Allah adds that if we endure with perseverance and are patient, this is better. This patience only comes from Allah and not nafs. Just as Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his companions were granted the opportunity to retaliate to the evil plots of the Meccan deniers once they were in Medina.

It even speaks to our micro level when someone backbites and falsely wrongs us - how do we react? Allah tells us that if we need to retaliate, we ought not to exceed the original affliction. Allah does give us the right to defend ourselves.

Just as we witness Iran and the Islamic Resistance braving in defense of Palestine, after years of sanctions faced by Iran and the collective oppression faced by Sudan in Africa, but above all, in Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon. As the brutal genocide grossly extends ...

Again, we are humbled to prayer;

Yearning a rebalance of the world order:

Ya 'Adl Ya Muqsit Ya Haqq Ya Salaam

And, a return to Allah's sense of love, peace, and unity in goodness for ourselves as all of humanity:

Ya Wadud Ya Salaam Ya Jami Ya Nafi

And finally, a reminder to retain our hope in the Source of all power, in spite of the madness:

Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum Ya 'Ali Ya 'Azim

La hawla wala quwwata illa billah❣️

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 3 April 2026

Anne (our spiritual mother, Shaykha Müzeyyen Vargonen Ansari) first mirrored an inner truth in how we simply cannot deny our inherent and often difficult to fully explain state of gratitude, irrespective of what we've been through!:

"...Not because Allah needs our gratefulness ... (but) from the point of view that it is our (spiritual) makeup. This is what helps us. To be in that energetic state ..."

Thereafter, beloved Shaykh Nishaat pointed to a simply profound Haqq (Divine truth) of one of Allah's Names, Al Muheet / Al Muhīt. Given that we have been witnessing the covert World War III become an overt and gross reality, I found it spiritually affirming to be reminded of this at this maddening time in humanity.

"Whatever is in the universes and on earth belongs to Allah. And He encompasses all things." - Al Nisa, Verse 126

... Nothing you see is truly yours. You are never outside His Presence. When we understand this, we will then truly be amongst the grateful. As people of this path, we should experience Al-Muhīt as a realisation, that wherever we turn, whatever we feel, we are already within His encompassing."

Lastly, beloved Khalifa Rubina Ghoor spoke to Sura Al Nahl, meaning the bee, which is also referred to as Sura Ni'am as blessings, which Allah points to, as what we've been bestowed with. In verse 92 onwards, if Allah willed, He could have made us one Ummah (community). But, He sends astray the one who wills to go astray. Allah has given freedom of choice to each human being, He is not going to force or compel us to choose or not to choose Him. In Sura Baqara, we are told, "La ikraha fiddin (let there be no compulsion in religion)."

Regarding guidance, we must simply consider Fir'aun and the number of times that Allah had given him to turn to Him, yet he was one of the defiantly disobedient ones. Allah guides those who will it for themselves to be guided. With sincerity in seeking Allah's guidance in every aspect of our lives and not as a robot, in small and big decisions. Asking for guidance is simply not wanting things but wanting what is good for us.

Our path is praying for guidance for ourselves as all of humanity through the powerfully potent Positivity Prayers. Our responsibility is to act upon the guidance that Allah has given us! These inspired devotions transcend wants into the arena of harboring a positive disposition of Allah as the ultimate Doer and Source of all help.

https://youtu.be/49fl8kBrosk?si=J0EINCkN_zJuraqf

In conclusion, please, Allah, bless us with reunion as a Tariqa (spiritual lineage) of misfits after having earned collective forgiveness with our deeper, stronger, and loving relationship with You. What really hit home as a former Quranic Arabic student is when Khalifa Rubina said that we cannot dismiss any ayah of the Quran. For instance, shirk (idolatry) is seen in two ways: at the surface level and a hidden one (shirk e-khafi). Hidden shirk are our unconscious actions where we're giving power, authority, and investing our time to other than Allah.

As Jamal most humourously says, from one of our favorite Mini Muslims, Islamic cartoons, "Please, Ya Allah, Ya Allah, help us ..." to discern all forms of shirk!

https://youtu.be/MCGdv56bQBM?feature=shared

Jumu'ah Sohbet: 27 March 2026

At this ominous time of a world that is at war, we begin with Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem (in/for/with the name of Allah, the most merciful Who is the Source of mercy)! Over and above, our devotions to revive hope in us at this time:

Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum Ya 'Ali Ya 'Azim

Reminding ourselves:

La hawla wala quwwata illa billah

(There is no power nor strength except by Allah)

With additional yearnings for greater unity in peace:

Ya Salaam Ya Jami''

And Allah's all-encompassing mercy to prevail:

Ya Rahman Ya Rahim

Most powerfully, we were spiritually inspired by our Shaykha Müzeyyen to connect deeper with Sura Al Baqara's potent Aytul Kursi (Protection Prayers) by uniquely handwriting it in its original Arabic form, and placing it under our WiFi devices 🤯🤲 Seeking protection for our families, loved ones and the world - from seen and unseen evil forces. Subhana'Allah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar (Divine glory and praise affirming that Allah is the greatest)!

Above: Ayat al Kursi (Throne Verse) in Sura Al Baqara, verse 255, as translated into English by Murshid Shaykh Taner Vargonen Ansari and team from the unique "The Quran: Daily Reading for All Humanity. Chronological Edition"

All the while within the context of Ramadan ending was the socially engineered ruthless war, leading to Eid ul-Fitr 1447 (2026). However, our worldly chaos couldn't prevent the festivities of Eid, punctuated by the beautification of our henna hands ala the gloriously generous Perumals. Spot the practitioner's name on your grateful Ammu's hand 😄

We carried our grateful and beautified hands to the inspired TIP (Taking Islam to the People) Family Eidgah, which is possibly the most inclusive local space to attend Muslim spiritual rites as a mix of intergenerational, genders, races and abilities - of a people in community. Shukran Ya Allah (Divine gratitude)!

Thereafter, was the manifestation of exceeded expectations of how our Eid day ended 🥹🤍🌬️💚 As you know, this included unique "gamification" by your Abbu and Mimi, and musical interludes by the youth leadership of the Bengali diaspora. In conclusion, we will end our Jumu'ah Sohbet with one of two offerings from our Eid afternoon.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cb5DkBlvn1o&pp=0gcJCZoBo7VqN5tD

Listen, download, so that you always remember, please.

Treasure Inside Me Lyrics

~ noted by Mahfouz & his Ammu

CHORUS 1:

Sami'na wa atho'na gufronaka - Robbana wa ilaikal-naṣīr

When the world seems dark

And the sea is rough

When nothing I say or do

Feels like good enough

When I'm alone and lost,

There's nowhere to hide

I thank You my Lord,

For giving me a treasure inside

You've given me a treasure inside

CHORUS 2:

It's the light of imaan

and the truth of Quran

Growing on the path of Habib

Knowing that You're always Qareeb

CHORUS 1:

Sami'na wa atho'na gufronaka - Robbana wa ilaikal-naṣīr ×2

When I've made a mistake

And I stumble and fall

When I look big from outside,

But feel broken and small

When I've tried my best,

And I've mourned and cried

I thank You my Lord

For giving me a treasure inside

Yeah, you've given me a treasure inside

CHORUS 2:

It's the light of imaan

and the truth of Quran

Growing on the path of Habib

Knowing that You're always Qareeb

CHORUS 1:

Sami'naa atho'na gufronaka - Robbana wa ilaikal -naṣīr ×2

Help me to hear and obey

Every word that You say

Let me love You and learn

To You is my final return

As long I have You

I'm never alone

You blessed me with this treasure

The treasure beneath the throne

CHORUS 1:

Sami'na wa atho'na gufronaka - Robbana wa ilaikal-naṣīr ×2

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