O P o t B

It is that time of the fasting month.  People are now starting to consider Eid, the festival that signifies the end of fasting.  Like all religious festivals, Eid is a family day. It is a tradition, from the time of the Prophet (P.B.U.H), to wear your best clothes and many will spend hours in the shopping malls.  Family will be visited and hatchets will be buried, albeit for a day, as a sign of respect.  I can remember, in the days of my youth.  Waking up before sunrise, and going to mosque for the early morning prayer.  Coming home to the smells of roast in the oven as my mum was preparing for the mid morning meal.  A cup of warm milk-which has been boiled with sago, almonds and sugar-and something sweet for the mouth.  A little something to symbolise that we are not fasting. Then off to the Eid prayer.  It is traditionally held in an open field, everyone brings their prayer mats and lays them out in rows.  All dressed to their best...

The month of fasting is upon us again.  And the entire Muslim community undergoes a metamorphosis. Some become more religious, others frequent the mosques, yet others adorn religious garb and generally become more "practising" Muslims, while others go into seclusion to fast and pray. All who observe the fast hope to gain the mercy of the Most High in this world and the hereafter. Fasting is a deep spiritual experience where, from sunrise to sunset, you abstain from food and drink and through this abstinence nourish the soul.  This abstinence from food serves two purposes, it serves as an indicator to others that the fast is being observed and more importantly it serves as a reminder of the other desires that are being denied.  Desires, are like veils that conceal the essence and the true inner beauty of the soul.  By denying the desires, the veils are removed and the true inner beauty of the soul is revealed. For me fasting has changed, from the time in my youth ...

To contemplate, To think, To consider,  my significance is absurd. 6 billion souls and more, I would be insolent, I would be arrogant, to even think of myself as significant. Significance... Cannot be bought, Cannot be earned, can only be given by others. To give significance, To those around you, Is the best gift you can give, a gift from the very heart. But the greatest gift, A soul can give, Is to give significance, to Him who holds my life in His hands.... :-)

It occurred to me as I was looking at myself in the mirror, attempting to remove the facial hair that had started establishing its presence during the night, that while we grow older and our hair changes from black to grey, that hopefully we become wiser and more mature so that we are able to deal with life and life's challenges appropriately and live a more fulfilling happy life. I have, in the past few months, met a number  of people.  Some have had a zest for life while others have a rather sceptical view of life.  Others have resigned themselves to the fact that they will never be happy and that happiness is meant for someone else. While others swim along being carried by the tide in total subjection of the situation.  Yet other are motivated and driven to achieve there hearts desires at any cost. And a few, very few, are content and live in the moment experiencing it to its fullest. I thought about the varying ways in which we experience life and I realised ...