Far Away - Sidi Haroon Sellars

Excuse me sister
Can I whisper
A little truth in your ear?

It’s no mystery
Through history
All the signs are clear

Times are so whack
Dogs on Prozac
Everyone feels under

False depression
Learn a lesson
The devil’s got your number

The war’s adjacent
But you’re complacent
It’s just another channel

So just turn the station
And keep erasin’
Pain you can’t dismantle

Sometimes I wanna fly,
Far away!
And then I pray
Oh let me stay!
Another day (2x)

Excuse me Mister
Can I whisper
A little truth in your ear?

It’s no mystery
Through history
All the signs are clear

More energy drinks
To speed the jinx
Of a life you can’t control

Going to and from
While you feel so numb
But you think you’re on a roll

A brand new diet
You got to try it
Cuz everyone’s so thin

Put down that mag
And grab a rag
And wipe this mess you’re in!

Sometimes I wanna fly,
Far away!
And then I pray
Oh let me stay! 
Another day (2x)

Excuse me people
There’s no sequel
We’ve only got one chance

To get it right
And win this fight
So check your circumstance!

You got internet
And a cell phone pet
But we’re all disconnected

You hear the preachers
And sacred teachers
But no one gets affected

Don’t let terrorism
Be the schism
For all humanity

Bring the proofs
When you report the “truth”
And restore the sanity

Sometimes I wanna fly,
Far away!
And then I pray
Oh let me stay! 
Another day (2x)

There are many excellent reminders contained within this beautiful prose, describing the challenges and distractions of our current time - the primary cause of which is heedlessness and inactivity of our God-given intellect to ponder upon the Truth. 

May we always be guided to be among those who reflect upon their lives, and those who strive to better their states.

month of maulid

it is of course the month of the birth of the our Master and Prophet, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, peace and blessings be upon him, and upon his family. many places in Singapore are commemorating this joyous event by having maulid celebrations. Alhamdulillah, by Allah's Grace, the tasawwuf class that I attend on Saturday evenings are also having celebrations. The commemorations are of course a means for us to remember the blessed life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., and to appreciate and emulate his character as a blessing to the worlds. May Allah grant us closeness to Him through His Beloved Muhammad s.a.w.

It was my greatest honour to be able to visit the Johor Baru zawiyah, where Shaykh Adnan Kabbani was due to visit, as part of his tour in Malaysia for the maulid celebrations. I was of course deeply anticipating meeting Shaykh Adnan for the first time, and it was nothing short of a burst of emotions when he stepped into the hall. He led us for Isya' prayers and then gave a suhbah which I am sure touched everyone as greatly as it did me. After the suhbah the Singapore delegation had the opportunity to partake from a short maulid before we had to leave. But the meeting was more than sufficient for me. May Allah keep me in the company of those whom He Loves and Blesses, and may this weak servant be blessed for striving to be in the company of these individuals.

Shaykh Adnan listening to the recitation of the Holy Quran.

Shaykh Adnan delivering his suhbah.
He was an enigmatic speaker, with loads of energy in him to inspire the audience. 

I wish for many more opportunities like this.

movie updates

at least a movie a week since the last update. and i must say that some of these are really worth watching.

first up was watchmen, the highly acclaimed comic cult film. this was a surprising film, in the depth and intricacy of the story. of course those who have read the comic would have said that it was nothing out of the ordinary, but for me who saw this the first time round, with no prior knowledge, it was surprisingly enlightening. many concepts of what defined society and personality, and humanity in its many intricate forms were raised in this film. the concept of necessary evil was of course the key driving motivation, and the final twist at the end was like... wow.

i loved this film.

next up is a lesser hyped film, though with a cast like dakota fanning and djimon hounsou, you wonder why it is not quite as hyped. well, the story, for one, may not appeal to everyone. it is almost x-men like, and the science fiction aspect of it may immediately set it aside as a movie to watch. but in any case, if you had some powers, what would you do? i think the conspiracies in the story may call for a sequel, but i enjoyed it for the cool effects, and if nothing more, a movie that i could watch without having to think too much. :P

now this last one is a keeper. departures is led by the gatsby man (remember him?), who lost his job and had to take on a taboo profession in the japanese society. shan't reveal too much here, but it has something to do with the title of the movie. now this is an exploration of the idea of passion in one's vocation, and understanding the meaning of true service and dedication to the calling of the profession. there were many tender moments in the movie that made me cry, especially moments when the power of the human emotion and relationships were depicted. those emotions resonated deep in me, especially since i had experienced similar feelings not too long ago. i think this is something that everyone should watch, and anyone who does not feel anything, should question how hard their hearts have become. haha.

movie critic out.

nani's one year anniversary

Hajjah Rapiar Binte Rahim Khan Surattee
30.10.1930 - 23.02.2008

for all the love you showered upon your 14 children and their spouses,
and your more than 40 grandchildren,
you will always be fondly remembered.

i miss you so much, Nani.

Al-Fatihah.

slumdog millionaire

"maybe it is written"

saw this (now-critically acclaimed) film last sunday morning, the reason i could not get out of bed to go for classes later. ahah.

but as the Oscars have shown, this is indeed a contemporary masterpiece. one needs to see it to fully comprehend the message contained within. there was a whole lot of controversy surrounding the film, that it was a misrepresentation of the lesser-seen people of India. but from gut feel, i believe that the reason for all the protesting was not because it was a misrepresentation, but rather because it was such a stark and accurate representation, that people refuse to accept it. but that is of course my own opinion.

i loved the cinematography, arrangement and music. and i loved the fact that the film attempts to show that money is not everything, and yet is the cause of everything. and how despite even that, there are somethings that are just far greater than that - knowledge, love and truth.

i end with the list of awards the film garnered at the Oscars this morning:

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Best Achievement in Directing
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Best Achievement in Editing
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

go watch people.

there is always a first

it has been a while since i attended a circle of remembrance.
alhamdulillah.
there is much peace to be found.

broken strings

Let me hold you for the last time

It's the last chance to feel again

i don't know how to let you go...

A glowing ember, burning hot, burning slow,

And deep within I'm shaken by the violence of existing for only you...

I know I can't be with you,

I do what I have to do...

I know I can't be with you, 

I do what I have to do...

But I have the sense to recognise

That I don't know how to let you go...

perhaps my only lament for the matrimony to come,
is that things will change,
and we will not be anymore.

Halo - Beyonce

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

the curious case of benjamin button

"Life isn't measured in minutes, but in moments."

there are sometimes movies that people just cannot seem to grasp, because of their own ineptitude. i guess this will be one of them, where those who see its value see it, and those who don't, well, are just heartless creeps.

one of the most moving lines in the movie to me was this.

"Benjamin, we're meant to lose the people we love.
How else would we know how important they are to us?"

*sigh*

baby/ toddler fetish

natasha

isaac

aleesya

azfar

adam, nadrah, nasuhah

inara (well almost a niece)

no i am not a paedophile.
i just love my little nieces and nephews...

God save the babies around the world!

on love

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

But if you love, and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstacy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

-The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran