Ramadan Reading

I find it fascinating that this Ramadan, the 2 books I use the most have similar colours (rusty red) and design (mandala-ish design at the middle of the cover).

Here’s an interesting back story about how I got to reading Sea Without Shore: I wanted to buy another book from Wardah Books for their Islamic Civilisation Book Club. It turned out to be much cheaper than I had anticipated and decided to add Sea Without Shore to my cart to be eligible for free shipping.

I’ve always wanted to read Sea Without Shore. I’ve heard about it and my friend Ahmad Zhaki wrote a review about it for MuzlimBuzz.sg longggg ago. I just… never got round to it I guess. (Writing this down, I’m a bit embarrassed I only added this into the cart to get free shipping haha.)

Anyway, a few days after ordering the books, Wardah Books emailed me to say the original book I wanted (for the book club) was sold out so they will only be sending me Sea Without Shore. Haha. SubhanAllah!

Cool back story #2: Last Ramadan, for some reason, I started reading Signs on the Horizons by Michael Sugich. His new book Hearts Turn had just been released and everyone was talking about it. But… again, I felt pulled to read his older book instead. Gosh, it made me laugh and cry and was such a beautiful companion in Ramadan when I was celebrating it alone in KL. I highly recommend the book.

The interesting thing is that both books are about the authors’ meetings with saints. Contemporary ones too, not from 100–200 years ago. (Well, for Sea Without Shore, only the first part is about Shaykh Nuh’s meetings with these people of God, not the whole book.)

Taqwa in Action

I think it’s really beautiful that these are the books God decided I would read these 2 Ramadans. The objective of fasting and Ramadan is to attain taqwa. And I guess I’ve been wondering what that looks like. How would I know if I have taqwa? I know you’re probably thinking “look at the Prophet lah!” (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). But you know… The Prophet and the Companions sometimes feel like super humans and too lofty for sinning, silly me.

Reading about these saintly beings, especially knowing they walked on this Earth recently (!) reminds me that it’s possible to live a Godly life today.

That saints come in all shapes and sizes and temperaments.

That some of them were not born saints, but became saints after struggling with their nafs and with a regiment of zikr and prayers etc. I love it so much.

And since this is related to my thinking about who are My People recently, here’s an excerpt from Sea Without Shore:

“One of the most characteristic scenes I remember of Sheikh ‘Adel was when his old artillery-mate Sheikh Fayez was with him. Sheikh Fayez had the wry sort of Palestinian humor which, especially when there was an appreciative audience, as was not infrequent, would hardly let Sheikh ‘Adel get in a serious word without making it into a complete farce. They had been rivals this way since early army days.

When we all went on umra together in 1988 with Sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman, Sheikh Fayez had been in charge of getting the food for the rest of us, perhaps eighteen men. Sheikh ‘Adel came into the main kitchen of the rambling old third floor of a hotel we had rented together in Medina near the Prophet’s mosque (Allah bless him and give him peace). “What are you fixing for the sheikh?” he asked Sheikh Fayez.

“Lentils,” he replied.

“You’re fixing lentils for Sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman?”

“Well, what am I supposed to fix?”

“You should get some roast chickens.”

“Forget it. We’ve got a budget, I’ve already bought the lentils, and that’s what we’re having.”

Sheikh ‘Adel went down and bought a brace of roast chickens with his own money, and had them back in time to set before the sheikh for dinner. Sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman however didn’t eat any of the chickens, remarking, ‘Since I left Damascus, I’ve been wishing for lentils.” Sheikh Fayez raised his eyebrows at Sheikh ‘Adel and gave him a triumphant smile. That was how they were, always vying in some humorous altercation.”

There were other examples of their friendship but I wanted to share this part that made me cry:

“Sheikh ‘Adel’s last years had been financially difficult, he had incurred debts, and his death left a large family from whom the center was suddenly gone. In the midst of this desolation, his lifelong comic nemesis Sheikh Fayez stepped in, paid the debts, directed the steps of the children into honorable professions, and invested his own life savings to keep the family store afloat so it could get back on a profitable footing. He proved fidelity itself to his old foe. In that too, I had a lesson in wafa (loyalty).”

Sighhhhh. MashaAllah.

May we be granted such companions, and may Allah guide us to be such people for our friends, ameen!