To Bark or To Bite

i entered a home. No one was in the porch. i headed to the main door but the sight of the dog (i's familiar with) stopped me to think before leaping. A motorbike stood like destiny between the two - me and the ferocious German Sheppard dog. The dog turned on the other side, i though it was leaving. It only took a second to realize that it was trying to come over to get my calcium deprived bones. Terrain was such that if i tried to run towards the main door, i'd be in trouble. Hence, i turned back towards the gate. I didn't just turn my back - i ran like an athlete starts a 100m sprint in Olympics. Just before reaching the doorknob i looked back to be aware of the situation and to my vehshat (fear) the dog was madly jumping and running towards me. Those moments between my opening the knob, getting out and sighting the vicious dog were very . . . dreamlike exciting xD because i knew i'd make it...

Pitrus Bukhari, an Urdu writer and MA English, makes a point about this assertion that barking dogs don't bite: how do you know when they stop barking and start biting?

The Path to National Destructions

The beauty of hadith has been well-defined by a Western author and commentator: Many of these [hadith] seem as if they were written just yesterday to deal with today's problems and issues." (The highlighted part serves as the basis for the fact that Islam is much about social sciences as such.)

Today's hadith struck my mind when I was turning pages of Essential Sufism (Suhail Academy Lahore). Please read and share your immediate reflections.

"Generations before you were destroyed because they declined to punish the powerful thieves yet were relentless in punishing the small pickpockets."

Some years ago, my brother's friend hit a plan and attempted to steal his car with one of his uncles. Praise be to Allah, the car was recovered within hours. My parents had the opportunity to take severe legal action beyond registering FIR, and other short-term legal action. But because the "friend" had some social influence, they influenced our relatives to let go of the 'poor souls' who had attempted to steal car by inviting my brother to their place!

Resultantly, we let go of them! Because they were "powerful"! Allah! This is not a suitable example, I know, but the one I know. See Musharaf! Look at Bush! Look at Mr. Madoff, who plundered so much money, yet only house-arrested! Look around yourself in Pakistan... Countless stories that unfortunately show that we're destroying ourselves. If some poor guy had stolen mere 1000 Rs/- surely my father and brother would have forgiven him - but no society would have pleaded in favor him, they'd only suggest penalizing him. Because they beat a pickpocket in a street so brutally why won't they hesitate suggesting breaking his backbone privately... But I still see hope!

wa ma taufiqi illa Billah!

Of a court jester of Prophet Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad actually had a court jester, amazing, whom he loved.

Once he directed a blind person to do a thing. That man went and started beating Hazrat Usman, who was praying, in the mosque. And after prayer he inquired, "What's going on!?" He said, "I thought you were such a such person. Nouman told me to that." And Nouman snickering in corner.

Prophet used to smile on it. And Prophet was also called by a scholar a laughing Prophet. His face used to be filled with smile. But he never laughed out like we use to. And what a beautiful thing is said in the Quran, "And He is the One who made you laugh and made you cry."

* Notes taken from a talk by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf. Watch.