It is of pleasantry that I challenge you intellectually, for this is what defines the mode of our existential chemical intertwinement. Fanciful and practical were blurred amongst one another, yes? Well good indeed, for I believe dreams may come true thus my aptness toward delusion. I once had a friend of African descent who told me, “king Suleiman, do you know the reason why women are placed among the children, beyond their care for them?” I replied, “why no, my friend, why?” He went on, “because women mentally are of a lower stature than man himself, and therefore are nearer the wavelength of naivety and ignorance akin to that of children, than men. The men talk business and politics while the women remain in the background amongst the young, left to do what they most aptly may - to care for the inferior ones”. I thought how ridiculous, and sexist, and inaccurate. And yet so it is, we find oft times that the cultures whereupon Islam resides are left in the backward thinking times of indigenous-ness while the rest of mankind, of which many are less religious and spiritual, show improvement and innovation and progress and leading-edge growth. The reformation of the mind whilst keeping the principles of Islam in tact - that’s the greatest jihad for each of us individually, and as an ummah. Where are the great artists who are Muslim? The cultural icons. Where are the great athletes who are Muslim and bring esteem to the young teenage boys and girls who look up to such athleticism. Where are even the lawyers and doctors and professors who seek to change the system toward the betterment of humanity rather than to maintain the legitimacy of the systemic quo that is doing the oppressing like a turnstile rotating in its positioning? You know, prescribe a drug to be taken off of a drug. Side with the accused for the sake of needed experience and monetary gain rather than because truth resides on his side. Last week i attended a speaking engagement at NYU, featuring a young NYU student body leader who shared with us his thoughts on 2 verses from the Qur'an which touch upon how Allah is the all-Knowing, All-seeing, as the Creator of both the Heavens of the Earth; how He has made us into tribes and nations and races so that we may get to know one another. One thing led to another and the featured guest speaker began telling us his story of a time he was in the Midwest, and on his way back to the airport to catch a flight to NYC. He ordered an Uber, whose driver happened to be an avid Trump supporter. The driver was curious and wanted to speak-on and debate why the Muslim brother was for Hilary and against Trump. One thing led to another and the Muslim brother found himself shot in the arm. No, just kidding. In fact, the Muslim brother stated he was not in the mood whatsoever to have a discussion with this Trump supporter. To him, the mere fact that this man was a supporter of Trump totally turned off the Muslim brother and eliminated the mutual interest and respect he had for the Midwestern man. To cut a long story short, at the end of the 3 hour ride en route the airport, the Uber driver was pleased to have met the Muslim brother and stated, if anybody ever injured his daughter, to tell him and he would bring a gun and shoot the man up who did that to his daughter. Quite dramatic indeed, but filial love and loyalty is the message, not the violence. The Muslim brother got scared and feared for his own well-being. With that said, the Muslim brother gave the Midwestern Trump supporter his phone number upon request, and yet blocked the man’s phone number. So with no replies, how does the Trump man now feel of the way he was treated by the Muslim brother? What is there to be feared in getting to no another whose beliefs are different from our own. How extreme it was for Obama to pay Cuba a visit to resume talks with Castro during his tenure as President. How extreme it is for the Muslims to engage with the communities of the disenfranchised blacks, with the communities of the gays, with the Trump supporting community. If our own leaders fear interacting with the common folks of these community groups and belief systems, then what are the leaders doing for the people they lead; the rest of the Ummah followers? What sort of message and reality is this creating among the Arabs and Muslims themselves, a few of whom tend to be racist toward reverts, converts, African and Malaysian Muslims.. Nothing is to be feared. Only understood. If Allah is the creator of the Heavens and the Earth and all in between, what are we doing fearing Allah’s Creations? To heed is wise. To respect takes knowing. To know takes courage. Knowing can only get understanding. We fear the other too much, more than the other fears us at times as proven in the story above. Who will bridge the gap, the Muslims or the other? If we are equipped with the great Message of Islam, one of excellence, courage, discipline, and duty, then why do we oft times conform to our most innate cultural biases and limited beliefs garnered out of a lack of study and understanding Islam for it’s truest message, that Allah is the creator of all things, and none is to be feared but Him. The mere fact that varying tribes and nations have been created is testament to the differences of humankind; the Jews have the strength of teamwork and loyalty all of humanity would benefit to learn from. The Africans have a spirit all of the humanity may be of benefit to hearken. The Hispanics have the working efforts of ants. The Chinese contain order and discipline most wish they could possess an ounce of. The Arabs too have been blessed with resources and business wherewithal. The White man is unafraid to claim what he believes belongs to him via his will-power and visionary and worldly desires. We can all learn from the other, including man from woman, tolerant from the racist, constituent from the murderer, and so forth.
What level of Faith do you have? Does your faith sway from time to time, or are you 99% strong-held in the your firm faith in Allah as Him being the one who answers all prayers in it’s just and due time.. I myself have gone through ups and downs, as we all have. I have not reached absoluteness yet. I pray when I feel the need for it’s assistance. I do best when I am with God at each moment in my life and am living freely and am being myself effortlessly. Sometimes I require prayer, other times my life is the state of prayer itself. If that makes sense…
My vision career wise is to not have a career in the colloquial sense of the term. I will create a livelihood for myself independent of being hired or fired. I am self-sufficient and will continue to create such reality for myself iA. As I am already capable of doing it on a small scale, iA it will increase and grow evermore. My primary means of doing this is via my tennis business (intermediate stage), my writing business (amateur stage). I do work at times to make more money, but to be a dedicated 10-20 year worker doing a 8 hour shift each day, five days a week.I haven’t found a job yet that I am happy doing in such a role. And I will not settle either :). Hamduillah though, Allah is good and has blessed me. it just takes some patience and continuous perseverance and hard-work. I am of utmost faith that I will someday (within the next 5 years iA) be of a blessed state. I have various timelines of plans for action for how to make ends meet throughout my life and to garner the appropriated livelihood that is monetarily fruitful. One version of this plan has been to move overseas (to Egypt) in fact, to focus on my investment endeavors. to make such a move, i would first need to save up to $50,000 USD. Hamduillah that is possible. My most profitable business has been giving tennis lessons, subhanallah; and this is in NYC, which is not a tennis city (like California, Atlanta, Florida, etc.).. Thus, the trajectory of my life work is still in progress, however in due time (whether sooner than planned, or later), all connects based upon my own actions and free-will. I could easily give up and settle, but I won’t because I know I will achieve what I desire most in my heart. bismillah ..
As for my livelihood vision, i am a simple yet systematic, time-efficient and organized.. I do not need a nice expensive car, nor a big television set, nor game consoles or lavish furniture and paintings. I just need a laptop, a bed, some good books, internet connection, a pen, a notepad, my headphones, my microphone, my tennis racket(s) and tennis balls, a basketball, a soccer ball, some dumbbell weights + a portable pull-up bar called the flexrSport, some food (i cook these days but i usually prefer eating out as it’s much faster for me- though it is healthier to cook albeit to cook a 30 minute meal and to eat it in less than 10 min -_- me no like ha), a car for expedient travel whence needed, some nice clothes that make me feel good when i wear them (collared shirts, jeans, khaki pants), a couple of pairs of shoes (black dress shoes / worker shoes, tennis shoes, sandals for the shower), some rubber-bands, some cash, a phone for communication, some paper towels, some organic soap - shampoo - tooth paste - deodorant, some hot sauce for the food, a couple of hats, a couple of mirrors, a couple of lights, and all of this in a nice little place that is near a mesjid iA, and if I have only $2Million, then i am willing to buy a home for a cost of up to $400,000 at most. iA then the other $1.6million would be divy’d up as I have planned already including to (pay zakat) $60k (Palestine kids|zaytuna school|mesjid built)… til then, i’ll be renting and saving $ and reinvesting in myself.