Reminiscing Syria

As Francois Voltaire once said, “Our country is that spot to which our heart is bound.” But what is a bounded heart? Is a bounded heart tied with the ropes of love or the obligations of family? Over the summer of 2010, I discovered where and why my heart was bound. It was to the beautiful soils of “The City of Jasmine.” Syria was the destination of my travel and the departure of my unawareness. It was where I learned to love my country and admire its people.

The sound of honking cars made its way through the crowded streets of Damascus and into my grandfathers two by two. It was a sunny day, and I was squished next to my brother. I had no idea where we were going. “Mama, can’t we just go to the mall?” I asked. “Today we’re going somewhere different,” she replied. I trusted my mother, leaned back, and closed my eyes.“Get up, we’re in Old Damascus,” by brother yelled while slamming the door. I stepped out of the car, wondering what this trip would have in store for me. My camera was in hand and the streets of Syria where ready to be explored. We entered a narrow road, and I visualized a perfect picture. I pressed the button on my camera, but nothing happened: my batteries were dead. Here I was in one of the oldest cities in the world, and I had forgotten to bring extra batteries. “It’s ok, we can buy from these mini shops,” my mother said. Maybe there was hope.

I then went on a journey to find double A batteries, but little did I know that this quest would teach my something about the people of Syria. We entered one of the shops nearby. The man jumped to help us, no silent stalking like they do in America. He lined up all the kinds he had and I grabbed a pair. I placed it into my camera, but again nothing. He rushed to open another box, not caring about the mess around him. I took the next pair and placed it into my camera, making sure the positive and negative signs were aligned. It was again a failure. I began to question my own camera, when the man, again, began to rip the covering off a third pair. I prayed for the best, and finally got the green light. Even though it was his fault and we paid our price, the man also paid a different price. He demonstrated kindness and hospitality. He truly wanted to see the green light as much as I did, and he did anything to make me happy. This was just an ordinary man, but to me, he had extraordinary character. This sympathy and lack of selfishness is what defines many Syrians, and is the reason for my admiration.

Now that I had my camera, I was ready to see one of the oldest mosques in the world. I entered The Amawi Mosque with my right foot. Immediately, I felt blessed to enter such a magnificent place. The forty five minutes that I spent in that mosque felt like an entire day. From Syedna Yahya’s shrine to praying the Mughrib Prayer, everything was so authentic and faith instilled. It made me forget what I would do tomorrow and made me focus on how I would remember today. I could not believe that such a marvelous place was in Syria’s backyard. Who needs malls or restaurants, when you can travel back in time in a way that makes you love the present? Syria was my present, and I finally learned how to open it.

The day was over and it was time to head back. I seemed to enjoy everything about the ride home. The honking noise from cars now sounded like melodies while the scent of jasmine slowly flourished. My trip to Syria was one that I would never forget. It brought to my attention the kindness of its people and the significance of its history. I let my thoughts wonder until we finally got home. I left my grandfather’s car a new person. I left my grandfather’s car with a bounded heart. 

Please keep the people of Syria in your prayers. Freedom is for everyone.

اللهم انتصر لنا انتصارك لأحبابك على أعدائك
Allahomma n-tassir lana n-tisaraka li ahbabika ‘ala a’daa'ik. 
O Allah, give us the victory You give to those You love over Your enemies. 

Finding Order

Life is filled with desires, emotions, wants, and needs. It's easy to suddenly become obsessed with something or to completely forget something else. There will always be ups and downs and people will always be pulling us in different directions. This is the reality of life. As humans, we are composed of three components, each of which has the power to influence but can also be easily influenced if not maintained and tended to in the proper manner: they are the mind, body, and soul.


In this day and age, many of us tend to focus on our physical appearance. Whether that means taking extra trips to the gym or buying that new brand of mascara. We seek the approval of society and push to reach that outer image of perfection when it doesn't even exist. We were all made in the best manner and embracing our true selves is the real form of beauty. The body is one of the three important aspects and we should tend to it, but in a healthy manner. Prophet Mohammad (S) was one to care for his physical appearance-he always adorned perfume, kept his hair clean, and wore clothing that was well put together. But, he also made sure that every other component in his life was in balance. If all our energy is focused on what people will think of our appearance, then the other two components will lack the proper attention to thrive and reach a peaceful coexistence.

As for the mind, it is one of the most powerful of the components because it has the capability to influence both the body and the soul. It provides mankind with logic, intellect, and intuition. Much of the progress in the world is the result of many minds and the accumulation of knowledge. Seeking knowledge is the duty of every person for it provides the guidance to understanding the meaning of life and it aides in acquiring the ultimate happiness. Abu Hurayrah relates that the Prophet said, "For him who embarks on the path of seeking knowledge, Allah will ease for him the way to paradise." The benefits to using ones mind for the sake of Allah (swt) are endless. From thikr to supplication, from memorizing to teaching, there are infinite ways to gain these deeds by simply using the minds we were granted. Although it seems easy discussing it, it's much harder to do it. Sometimes we find ourselves using our minds for the wrong reasons: engaging in pointless chatting via social networking or memorizing the sequence of events in a TV series. In these cases we are merely using the minimum capability of our minds when we could be further enhancing our knowledge or strengthening our intellect.


Many of us also spend a great deal of our time striving to be excellent academic students. Some feel satisfied making this, and obtaining a successful career, their priorities in life. In reality, there is a third component that builds up the core of a human being and is by far more important-the soul (rooh). When asked about the soul, the Prophet (S) said, "The rooh: it is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little." [al-Isra 17:85] Although we know little of what the soul truly is, we know that it is what will return to our Lord and what will aid in testifying for our actions. The soul needs constant maintenance for it will loose sensitivity if not tended to for a long period of time. By reading Quran, praying, and making duaa, the soul surrenders(islam) itself and will feel at ease. This ease causes the body to rejoice and the mind to know its Lord. For "whoever knows his soul, knows his Lord".

Maintaining a balance of these three components is not easy, but it is our own personal task. It is a task that will bring happiness in both this life and the next. When the body, mind, and soul coexist peacefully, the heart will feel at rest for "surely in Allah's remembrance do hearts find peace."


With this concept in mind, I hope that my blog will be a place where there is a variety of information presented in a balanced way: things that pertain to the mind, body and soul. Thus, Miscellaneous Harmony. :)

Intention

As I created this blog for the first time, I began to question my motives. As with every action that we take, we must clearly evaluate our intentions. So in my mind, I layed out some reasons as to why I should click "create blog". 

Oh you want to know what they are...well:

1. To Share: Let's just say I have this one folder in my room. It's on the second shelf of my desk and it's beside a bunch of college-like papers I have so wonderfully collected. This folder is where I would store my short stories from middle school, then my poetry from highschool, and eventually articles for my college newsletter. It's a little ripped and overflowing to say the least. I didn't mind sharing what I wrote, it's just that I never found the opprotunity. I would read it to my family or present it at a dinner, but then it would just join the others. To make a long story short, I realized we live in a society where much is on the internet...maybe too much. But most importantly, that each of us is given a talent, a small special gift, and although sometimes manifested in unnoticeable things, not one gift is alike. So when we share, we are giving a little of our thoughts, our experiences, our lives to the world. So I wanna share. Like we did with crayons when we were younger. Only this time we are coloring the world just a little differently.

2. To Practice: There is a lot of knowledge in the world. (Did you know that Hippo milk is pink?). Not that you would benefit from knowing that, but if we all shared a little piece of knowledge, someone somewhere could benefit. Our lives should be filled with consistant quests for knowledge, and If I could share something with someone that they didn't know, I would feel satisfied. As Bukhari once said, "Who are the learned? Those who practice what they know." So I hope to practice what I learn, share what I experience, and contribute what I can to your personal quest in life.

I'll explain the meaning of the blog title later. I gotta go break my fast.

-Sarah J