CHIEFS vs PIRATES

Asalaamu alaikum...

I trust everybody is doing well... and feeling great as this beautiful day brings closer to the people we love... Jumuah Mubarak to you all... May today be the greatest day inyour life... and Mya Allah SWT bless shower His infinite mercy upon us all...

and...if u happy and you know it... hola out a AMEN!!!

So, this weeek proved to be very nostalgic... visiting hujajj not only allows me to reminisce... but it reminds me to be grateful for the Bounties Allah swt has bestowed upon me... Alhumdullilah i was fortunate enuf to be given the oppertunity to go on hajj... and every hujjaj will tell you... the memories live on... and as i listen to the Athaan b4 the hujjajj leave the house... tears roll into my eyes... not becuase of the real possibility that we may never see our loved ones again... but i tear up, and sometimes i cry.... becuase i know where they are going... and what they are going to be feeling... ALLAH HU akbar...

This week is also BIG coz it also sees the SOWETO derby taking place... Everybody jump up off thier seats and give me a Pansula... ok ... JABBA... u can sit down now... :-)

chiefs VS pirates

as i said the derby of all derbies will be taking place ...

a day in which the whole of sSouth africa stands still... and readies its self for a spectecle... a festival of feet... SSSerrious!!!

men, women. young and old... clad in the distinct colours of their team... and with vuvuzela in hand they gather at SOccerCity... and march and chant in unison... until one half of the stadium erupts in joyous delirum whilst the others reflect on missed oppertunities... YES, if you dont know what is taking place this w/e then you are either living under a ROCK, or you dont have a interst in local football. Either or, life goes on... but for 30 miliion people around SA... its argubly the higlight of thier year... a chiefs vs pirates game...WOW... and come 230pm saturday... many people will do little else... and for ninety minutes or so... their hearts will pump... and their feet will pansula.... and the rythym of thier chants will linger... and their tongues will explode.... LADDDUUUUUUUUUMMMA!!! for the lucky 90 000 ppl who will cram into soccer city it will be the realisation of dream... they have saved.. and put in extra hours... just to be able to be part of the SOWETO DERBy... and for those who are not thier or who were too late ... they will regret and they will ask.. why didnt i go earlier to the damn ticket office... SPuit KOm to Late... and if they die b4 the next derby... they would not of experienced the glitz of the occasion...

i know of another derby that attracts an even biiger following... and for those present... the memory and sanctity of this derby is one that will last more than a mere ninty minutes... one that will resonate in your bones for the rest of your life and which will shape perceptions and attitudes and build communities...

One which will be carried in your heart until you are no more... one that will inspire and give hope... and bring peace to even the most restless of souls...

... where grown men shed tears and the mightiest are humbled... and as the ensuing derby builds towards its climax and unravels itself before your very eyes... the purpose of life is revealed to you ... bringing with it a clarity in thought and a vision of what is possible... if only we allow ourselves to be taken by it... to go with it.. to grow toward it ... where people are people... but a whole lot more... where the rigours of life are for once put to the side... and we allow ourselves to give priority to what or WHOM, we all know to be the GREATEST...

" and proclaim to mankind the HAjj. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every ... " [ quraan 22:27]

YES... O people of faith... its the 5th and final pillar upon which our way of life is built... and in my humble opinion... the mistake we make is to view it as the last pillar... leaving it off for late in life...

of course economics plays a role... but i ask the question.. and let us be honest... if we have not been on hajj already... do we really need to spend our wealth on a second home... do we really need the fancy car... do we really? Parents if we have not been on hajj already do we have to spend on fancy 21st b-days and weddings...

[ 3:96-97] "The most important shrine established for the people is the one in Becca; a blessed beacon for all the people. In it are clear signs: the station of Abraham. Anyone who enters it shall be granted safe passage. The people owe it to Allah that they shall observe Hajj to this shrine, when they can afford it. As for those who disbelieve, Allah does not need anyone." [ 3:96- 97]

the tafsir of the above ayaah ... is ample proof incentive to work for your Hajj( www.tafsir.com) ... and as soon as you are able to... go!!!

This journey is premised on sacrifice... so lets do justthat... and sacrifice the luxuries of this world... and as soon as you do... you will open the door to a something more spectacular than you can ever have imagined...

As you may have picked up... the tone of this email has shifted from nostaligia to being a bit more direct and blunt... i do this not to offend any one... and if i do i apologise... i do this becuase i love you all.. and want only the best for you, in this lifetime and the next... i want you to experience the beuaty of our way of life ... what i was so fortunate to have experienced...

As people of faith... we know it all starts with our intention... so if you have not made an intention to go... i say.. make it. once the intention is made...then we follow it up with action...

the point is we need to prioritise... we save for weddings... education... retirement... cars ... and their is absolutely nothing wrong with that... but ask yourself this... what if you are saving for all those things... and you then have enough provision to go for hajj... and you dont go... or you delay it " i am not ready"... " its not my time" " i am not saligh enough" ...blah blah blah... ask yourself... are they good enough excuses? and what if in your state of delay... you pass away... you would of passed away without having fullfilled your 5th pillar... and our foundation would somwhat be incomplete... and we all know what happens then...

So i urge you at the very least to make a sincere intention... and then we put away the first R 10 towards our journey... and before you know it... that R10 has grown to a R100 and before you know it that R100 has grown to R 1000 and before you know it... that R1000 has grown to R10 000... and before you know it... you are drowing in a sea of white... chanting the talbiya .... LABAIk ALLAhummah LAbaik ... " here i am My Lord... at THY service"

and may MAy Allah SWt Guide and protect us All... AMEEN.

think. ponder. reflect.

PS: MSA indoor Football tournement... 30th Novemeber 2008.. contact Irfaan... 073 145 0431... or email me...

Ps2: Halaqa 2morro morning at HAbibia masjid... after fajr...

Ps3: someone wants you to check out this video... not me... some one else... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li4zNSN7FiE

PSP: WALT DISNEY... the creator of Mickey mouse.. is reprtedly afraid of mice... :-)

XBOX: did you know... Turtles can breathe through their butts.

LAFF OUtLOUD... (not too loudly though):

A Free State "Boer" walks into his local bar and to his surprise finds a little Japanese man sitting in his regular chair.
"Kleingat, you sommer sitting op my stoel" he angrily shouts
Before he knows it, the Jap is up and knocks the farmer flying
After the farmer recovers he asks: "What the blerry hell was that?"
"Zat martial art from my country Japan " replies the Jap and strolls off in a stroppy way.
The following day the farmer finds the Jap in "His" seat again.
The farmer goes: "You is alweer sitting op my stoel" and again the Jap knocks the farmer out with some nifty Kung Fu.
On regaining consciousness the farmer asks: "What the blerry hell was that?"
"Zat Karate from my country Japan" and as stroppy as ever ambles off.
Now the farmer is dik die moer in.........
The next day the farmer finds the Jap sitting in "His" chair again!
"So, you is alweer sitting op my stoel. Vat So" and he knocks the daylights out of the Jap with one blow.
The little Jap comes around after some time and asks the farmerwhat was that?

The farmer replies:
"That, my china was a bliksemse Isuzu 2.8 litre turbo diesel bakkie se wheelspanner....also from your country Japan !!!

hehehe... lol:-)

Peace. Love. and the fruits of summer...