Food For Thought

As I was blog surfing today (yeah I'm being open about that lol, we all do it! & it's better than like myspace surfing..) Anyways, I came across this beautiful piece by mariya (<-- that's a link to her site) titled "Our Pathetic State"

Cute Hijabs, matching tight pants, perfectly manicured hands drumming restlessly to the beat of the latest Nasheed pop;

Nice rides, sipping café lattes, halaqas embraced in the depths of cozy rooms, speaking of distant dreams and privileged existences.
Do we know the real struggle?
ISNA club, throngs of fans milling air conditioned convention halls, pop star speakers glimmer in the spot light, beckoning distant hearts to spirituality and deeper lives; chastising in that “oh so mesmerizing voice”; as the crowd yells a deep bass “Takbir” followed by shrills of “Allahu Akbar”…
Do we really comprehend the Greatness of our Creator?
Trekking the globe in search of meaning, disenchanted existences within treasure filled homes, dreams of substance blocked by trivial minds; apathy radiates in different colors; squeezing potential out of our beings like deep soaked sponges inflated by muddy waters;
Can meaning seep into a suffocated heart?
Following zigzag paths of nothingness; in search of “Deen” or “the other half of my Deen” whatever comes first. So we step in style, mouthfuls of “Subhana Allah”; gleeful “Mashaallah”; echoing from empty hearts frenzied by empty lives.
Scratching the surface of submission; echoing lines from distant lives; dreams of greatness shelved away; as we pander our “Proud to Be Muslim” shirts; cheap prices for cheaper wares.
Pardon my jaded writing…perhaps I forgot the subtle depths of this struggle; as I begin to still the meaningless symbols clanging in my heart;
Please remind me:
Do rays of the Divine
ever
illuminate
these
darkened
c o r n e r s ?

just some food for thought. I did some introspection after reading this... and I've noticed it's part of human nature to try to relate everything we read/hear to ourselves... especially as this piece is eloquently written. It pushes the reader to find a deeper connection with their soul. For sure, I am guilty of some of the things mentioned above, but at the same time everyone finds peace of mind by different means. I feel most connected (body, mind, and soul) during and after a good run while someone else might find that situation to be the least fitting for them. On the subject of pop Nasheeds - I just got Native Deen's "Not Afraid To Stand Alone" album in the mail recently, and I find their lyrics to be extremely influential... there are so many decisions I've changed from wrong to right, just by having their lyrics in mind. It works for some, doesn't for others. But essentially, her words touched me, and it's soo important to reflect upon how we're living our lives - and if we see things we don't like, then insh'Allah we will take the steps to change those aspects. I think the most pertinent thing is to always be aware of what we are doing and what we are allowing ourselves to be around. In a speech I heard once, the speaker said some profound things, the line that has embedded itself into my head is "our hearts are like sponges and we absorb everything that is in our environments... eventually when the sponge is full it's squeezed and everything we've exposed ourselves to is let out from our tongue." So check yo self!

Salaam