What A Gem!
Bismillah wa hamdulillah wa salaatu wa salaam ‘ala Rasoolullah
To reflect upon is to think about, give thought to, consider, review, mull over, contemplate, cogitate, meditate on, brood on, turn over in one’s mind. Reflection is sort of like chewing; you can chew just enough to swallow and get the whole thing over with (brussel sprouts), or you can chew and chew and chew in order to fully savor every yummy morsel (chocolate). I feel like I’ve been chewing on Heavenly Hues since the last class ended and it’s still as sweet as the first bite. Yum!
So, now would be the time to point out that if you’re looking for inspiration, this is probably not gonna be the post to give it to you. Sorry. (But really the whole chewing metaphor should’ve been your first clue.) Just posting this reflection is an odd enough experience. As a newcomer to Al-Maghrib classes, at times during the course of the course (ha!) I felt like the weird new person who intrudes upon a party already in progress. You know the one who walks in and immediately trips over the cord and brings everything to a screeching halt and suddenly has all eyes on them? Yup, that’s kinda what it felt like. It wasn’t uninviting, mashAllah I met some really nice sisters. I was just new. People were discussing previous courses and using acronyms and laughing at previously told stories and I was still trying to figure out where to park my car. So what could I possibly say that someone hasn’t said before? What insights could I give that haven’t already been given in a more eloquent fashion? What if my whole post turns out to be a trip the cord moment? Eh, oh well. Here goes…
The quick and short version is this – I thoroughly enjoyed Heavenly Hues. I mean, who didn’t? It was thought provoking and probing. It was enlightening. MashaAllah, it was amazing. The morsels of knowledge that Shaykh Yaser doled out like so much yummy chocolate were at once soothing and jarring, accessible and yet just out of reach. Sort of like a comforting reality check, if that makes any sense.
I think the best way to sum up what Heavenly Hues meant for me is to briefly (and clumsily) expound upon a metaphor that Shaykh Yaser presented during the class – that of the ocean and the one who possesses knowledge. The ocean at its deepest is quiet and still and it takes an expert to reach its depths and discover the treasures hidden within. At the shore however, that same ocean is a source of constant noise and shallow enough that even a passerby can wade in and pick from it as they choose. Heavenly Hues was for me like a dip into the center of the ocean; a chance to get away from the noise at the shore (bar exams, work, etc.) and take solitude in the beauties and wonders of the Quran. Alhamdulillah! What a gem!
darthvaider
April 8, 2008
Witty, clever, and funny…I give this post two thumbs up!
Amatullah
April 8, 2008
wow that was awesome mashaAllah. I love the way you write sis. I look so boring compared to you and Muslim Apple :)
zulander
April 8, 2008
Great post mashAllah!
Mariam 3:36
April 10, 2008
MashaAllah, thanks for sharing that wonderful glimpse into your swim, and may Allah grant you many long enchanting, enlightening, and transforming swims in those serene waters. Ameen!
MashaAllah I love the chewing metaphor too! I’m hoping it will lessen the “tripping on the cord” feeling to know that Amatullah once sent me an e-mail containing this quote: Bishr bin as-Sirri said: “Verily, each verse [in the Quran] is like a date: the more you chew it, the more of its sweetness is released.” ['al-Hadith fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an'; p. 70]. So the post fits perfectly :). No cords and no trips alhamdulillah–no opening of chips in a classroom with microphones overhead ;)–just flipping through the photo album of your deep sea dive and enjoying a box of “yummy” chocolates!
ayunas
April 10, 2008
Masha’Allah, I wonder who this mystery is, “deep cover”. All I can say is, from this one post and from her biography, that she definitely has got creativity working for her. I like creative, I do like! Glad to have you with us Deep Cover.
-Amir
deepcover
April 11, 2008
aww… gee, thanks y’all! :)
(wow, that looks as country as it sounded when i said it out loud.)