(A recent significant Facebook exchange)

In the past, I often felt guilty about communicating with people-except for the essentials of course.I can still remember going to an Indian reserve in Northern Quebec where no-one talked unless they had to.It was unsettling after being raised in a noisy Semitic environment. It felt a bit like Woody Allen visiting the Catholic family of Diane Keaton in Annie Hall ,I believe.He had images of his own Brooklyn -based family shouting at each other across the dinner table in order to make a point.With his in-laws everything was prim and proper and he was clearly ill-at-ease.

Nowadays I think I would love that Indian reserve.The silence was like that of a Zen monastery ,in the middle of family life with women taking care of the cooking and the kids and men preparing to go out to hunt.Everyone seemed peaceful.

Nevertheless,I have become convinced of the value of communication.Whereas I used to consider it an unnecessary leisure activity,and it surely is in some contexts, I now see it as a spiritual obligation- somewhat like praying together or eating together.This is probably why I now post regularly on Facebook and keep up this blog.Whatever I can share with others and whatever I can learn from their feedback ,it is all for the good.After all,where would we be if our Prophets and our awliya(saints) did not communicate.

One thing that troubles me ,however,is something I have noticed with the younger generation.They tend to just break off the conversation as soon as their immediate needs are met.This happens on Facebook,on chat, by email or in texting.Suddenly they disappear off the radar.I call this”ropey-dope” in honour of the technique  Muhammad Ali developed to avoid his opponents blows and tire them out.For me,what feels right is to find a natural flow in the conversation and end it when it is becoming repetitive or running out of energy.Then I will say something like”I have a bunch of other things that need doing” or:It is getting late and I need my rest”.So we end the conversation in a smooth and polite manner and I feel that a good piece of work has been accomplished.Not so the younger generation.They just disappear.I guess this is just part of the cellphone  texting generation.Or am I missing something?Salaams,Ibrahim

(Upon the visit of some old Afghani friends). Many times I have been reminded of the need for community.My last tariqat was always reminding us of the need for  brotherhood.Unfortunately, for cultural and characterological reasons, I could not relate to that brotherhood.But the need for appropriate community is still there.

This morning, as we were praying the Fajr salat,it became obvious again.The prayer alone is not the same! Our Prophet saws also reminded the ummat of the importance of the collective prayer.

For the doubters and skeptics,don’t think I am being naive.I am continually impressed by the kinds and intensity of the psychopathology of the people I meet in my office and outside. In fact what I see outside is often more intense than what I see in my office! for sure,people can be a pain in the b-tt!

I am also aware that obligatory and inappropriate community is not the answer.Every week I hear of people who were badly served by being obliged to attend churches and Islamic schools that did not address their heart-felt concerns.So that won’t do ,either.

NBut let’s not throw out the proverbial baby with the bath-water.We all need support and help and confir mation.And community can help us with each of those.The next step is making this into something concrete.Inshallah,in the not too distant future.Salaams,Ibrahim

(Response to a video praising Obama as “amazing” and Trump as a misogynist)

Forget Trump.He represents much of what is wrong with America but unfortunately he does represent America.Actually,Obama ,and I like the guy,is More of a problem! He represents political correctness to the nth degree and it is not healthy.It sounds good but it is all designed to please the audience.On this note, Trump is right.You have to break through political correctness to solve problems. I naively wrote a relatively short letter to Obama shortly after the start of the war in Syria,saying that he would be held to account ultimately,for not intervening just as Clinton regretted not intervening in Rwanda.Logistics of getting through aside,I know why he didn’t intervene.And its not because of the usual; conspiracy theories like not enough oil or to support Israel or whatever.He didn’t intervene because of another politically correct intellectual error-that you can figure out what to do by analyzing past similar interventions-specifically Afghanistan and Iraq.Wrong! Each situation is unique and comparisons don’t work.Our minds and their analysis don’t work-even if you are Harvard or Yale educated lol.Actually,especially if Harvard or Yale educated!. That’s why I use Istighara-the Islamic prayer for guidance.If you don’t believe me because this is too faith-based,check out “The Fog of War” and see what the secularist Robert McNamara had to say.He came to the same conclusion.Salaams,Ibrahim

(The Belgian Terror attacks.)As I watch the American electoral process and the concurrent fight against terrorism,I cannot fail to notice one item that is rarely addressed.”The search for meaning!” If you listen to the “democratic” politicians most of the discourse is about getting more and better jobs.Even the better ones,like Bernie Sanders,cannot get beyond some kind of economic justice.Is that all there is to life-good jobs for everyone.I call this the “meaningfulness deficit”.And it is much more serious than the economic deficit.Yes,the terrorists are wrong,and yes they have an heretical understanding of Islam.But they are searching for something that they are not getting in our wonderful; secular democracies.and they are willing to pay with their lives for their search.We better learn how to provide meaning in more healthy ways.And,sorry, but a Bachelors degree or even a doctorate(academic achievement as meaning) will not do it!

Mahasi Sayadaw,one of the founding fathers of the Insight Meditation movement and teacher of Jack Kornfield says the following in”The Manual of Insight” his most famous work.   Quoting the khuddaka Nikaya”O Great King,nibbana(nirvana) is incomparable.It cannot be described in its color,shape,size,dimension,likeness, remote cause,immediate cause,or any other logical way of thinking”.He goes on to say”nibbana has no colour ,form or size.It cannot be described by using a simile” This sounds exactly like the Islamic description of Allah.The last bit is almost word for word what the Quran says about God”He is beyond comparison.La mithla shay.There is no simile for Him”

So where is the problem?The Dalai Lama is insistent that there is no Creator God.Why does he say that?! Because there is a very serious theological error inherent in Buddhism.It does not recognize the link between the conditioned and the unconditioned,between the Creator and the created.It sees them as parallel tracks.That’s why I am a Muslim rather than a Buddhist.Salaams,Ibrahim

“The wound is the place where the Light enters” Awesome!

The name Pilgrims Progress for our group process appealed to me as it speaks of our journey to our Lord-The Absolute.However,historically this is a name associated with Christianity with which,of course we have a lot in common.However for the weekly meetings we needed something more akin to Sufi terminology.

So I began thinking of all the terms used for these meetings-=liqa, dhikr, hadrat, suhba etc.And I thought of what the essence of what we are trying to do.I concluded that the most essential aim of our process was trying to “connect”-primarily to the Presence of Allah and secondarily to His servants. The Arabic root for the word meaning “connect” is  wasala  وسل

Then I checked the derivatives of that root and the one that fit the best was “Wisal”.Hans Wehr gives the following meanings for wisal-reunion(with God);being together(of lovers);and communion(in Love).Perfect! Welcome to our next Wisal!