( A childhood memory and a spiritual awakening has triggered this write up. )
Soon after the Morning Namaaz, my father used to switch on the cassette player and we children would literally wake up to the voices of Sabri Brothers singing one of the most popular Qawwalis ever ...
"Taajdaar e Haram ..."
and
Lata Mangeshkar singing that heavenly Bhajan soaked in spiritual purity ...
" nis din barsein nain hamaarey ... "
Those voices, those words and those thoughts are forever etched in my heart.
Having been brought up with such fulfilling and plentiful diversity has not just enriched me spiritually but also prepared me for the life that I am now leading ...
Many times in life man needs a cushion (or perhaps a punching bag 😊 !) to rest upon in difficult times (or alternatively punch the pain out !!! )
So while no one really knows between Religion and Man, who created whom, logically speaking religion must have germinated from this seed called pain.
And therefore, religion, as a guiding philosophy should ideally bring peace in the lives of the believers and comfort them like that cozy cushion ( or the punching bag ) in their stressful time
Soon after the Morning Namaaz, my father used to switch on the cassette player and we children would literally wake up to the voices of Sabri Brothers singing one of the most popular Qawwalis ever ...
"Taajdaar e Haram ..."
and
Lata Mangeshkar singing that heavenly Bhajan soaked in spiritual purity ...
" nis din barsein nain hamaarey ... "
Those voices, those words and those thoughts are forever etched in my heart.
Having been brought up with such fulfilling and plentiful diversity has not just enriched me spiritually but also prepared me for the life that I am now leading ...
Many times in life man needs a cushion (or perhaps a punching bag 😊 !) to rest upon in difficult times (or alternatively punch the pain out !!! )
So while no one really knows between Religion and Man, who created whom, logically speaking religion must have germinated from this seed called pain.
And therefore, religion, as a guiding philosophy should ideally bring peace in the lives of the believers and comfort them like that cozy cushion ( or the punching bag ) in their stressful time
The role of religion from being the guiding star to becoming a red herring is a subject of serious thought and discussion because it has brought more discomfort and misery on this Planet for reasons that are no more pious
The shocking fact that God / Allah / Bhagwaan is being "sold" to unsuspecting believers sometimes in the form of bread and sometimes in the form of guns , has never dawned upon most of us ... !!!
And hence in the midst of life's tough times the believer thinks only of more Pooja , Havan , Waziifa (specific number of chants for a special purpose) taaviz , pilgrimage etc
The shocking fact that God / Allah / Bhagwaan is being "sold" to unsuspecting believers sometimes in the form of bread and sometimes in the form of guns , has never dawned upon most of us ... !!!
And hence in the midst of life's tough times the believer thinks only of more Pooja , Havan , Waziifa (specific number of chants for a special purpose) taaviz , pilgrimage etc
So when more than a decade and a half ago, I faced an extremely challenging and the most difficult phase in my life , some well wishers advised me to go for Hajj / Umra to find peace of mind
(Umra is like Hajj , all rituals are the same , but it can be performed at any time of the year , whereas Hajj is performed in a specific month and on specific days of that month )
But my parents, sincerely religious and admirably courageous souls that they were, were against any such "escape" route.
They argued as to how could anyone find peace in pilgrimage when one's life was scattered like a city after a devastating storm ?
How on earth would going away from problems solve them ?
(Umra is like Hajj , all rituals are the same , but it can be performed at any time of the year , whereas Hajj is performed in a specific month and on specific days of that month )
But my parents, sincerely religious and admirably courageous souls that they were, were against any such "escape" route.
They argued as to how could anyone find peace in pilgrimage when one's life was scattered like a city after a devastating storm ?
How on earth would going away from problems solve them ?
Indeed back then picking up the broken parts and reconstructing a walkable path ahead was not easy ... But bringing back some normalcy in life was the need of the hour ... and for that I had to put in my most diligent efforts by ensuring my presence where it was needed the most.
The pilgrimage was forgotten as I gradually began attending to the more worldly matters requiring my attention at that moment.
Some months later I met a cousin, who had gone for The Hajj Pilgrimage that year...
She told me something that even on this day makes my eyes moist ... How can it be true ... That feeling , I have never been able to put in words ... !!!
My heart flutters with joy and amazement ... Disbelief and gratitude ... !!!
I felt wrapped in the embrace of a deeply protective divine power as my cousin described vividly in detail the miracle that she had seen ...
She had seen something that to rationale, logic and perception seems completely impossible ... !!!
The pilgrimage was forgotten as I gradually began attending to the more worldly matters requiring my attention at that moment.
Some months later I met a cousin, who had gone for The Hajj Pilgrimage that year...
She told me something that even on this day makes my eyes moist ... How can it be true ... That feeling , I have never been able to put in words ... !!!
My heart flutters with joy and amazement ... Disbelief and gratitude ... !!!
I felt wrapped in the embrace of a deeply protective divine power as my cousin described vividly in detail the miracle that she had seen ...
She had seen something that to rationale, logic and perception seems completely impossible ... !!!
She said that during the tawaaf (the parikrama) of The Holy Ka'baa , at that place which is the holiest and the most revered one for any Muslim , a little distance away from her .... but right there in front of her ...
She had seen me ... !!!
Had she seen me ???
Had she seen me ???
Yes ... That's what she said
She had seen me there !!!
💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝
💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝