The Amazing Brain

One of my biggest vices from the “bad ol’ days” was music.  It was a large part of my everyday life since I was 9/10 years old, up to 21.  In those 10 years built up a collection of CD’s worth a small fortune.  I wonder sometimes if all that still has an effect on my state now? 

Something weird happened to me recently, I heard a song by Alicia Keys on TV; Teenage Love Affair, there is Motown sounding base sample used in the song and the instant it was played I recognised I had heard it before.  The sample was used on a Hip Hop album, I couldn’t remember the album or the group but for some odd reason I remembered it was an intermission type track on the album.  It bugged me for hours not being able to remember which album it was.

Then a few days later as I was waking up for work, still semi-conscious, the album name and group suddenly came to me!  It was from Muse-Sick-N-Hour-Message by Public Enemy, track: White Heaven/Black Hell.

This was truly freaky, kinda like my brain was working on retrieving the data stored somewhere in my long term memory all that time, then involuntarily gave me the answer, I didn’t even think about it since that day I first heard it.  And the last time I listened to that album was probably 12 years ago!  What an amazing organ the brain is.

I wish I used my time (and money!) on something more beneficial like memorising the Qur’an.  Memorising comes easy to me alhamdulillah, I can still remember many rhymes word for word.  Even now after listening to and singing some qasida’s I memorise it after a few days, maybe all that music and rhyming has improved my memorisation skills?  Still I would have loved to have the Qur’an memorised instead of all that music.

Allah knows best, I can’t change the past and there must be a divine wisdom behind my misspent youth.  Most obvious of all is that I should do tawba for all of that and thank Allah or changing my state.  No point crying over what I could have done instead, it was all meant to be.  Insha Allah I will try to make sure my kids don’t make the same mistakes. 

The Most Blessed Last Words

“As-salah! As-salah” (The Prayer! The Prayer!)

The last words of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

These last few words of the Messenger of God (صلى الله عليه وسلم) speaks volumes about his blessed character and nature. His (صلى الله عليه وسلم) last words are reminding us of the thing we will be first questioned about when we are resurrected.

His (صلى الله عليه وسلم) speech is described as “jawami’ al-kalam” - comprehensive speech, eloquent, concise words with a wealth of meaning behind them, comprehensive message and guidance in them.

“As-salah! As-salah!” He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is advising us to guard our prayer, to guard our prayer we must learn to pray properly, the prayer includes the Quran, the prayer includes the shahadah, it includes salawat upon him (صلى الله عليه وسلم), it includes du’a (the original pre-Islamic meaning of ’salah’ was supplication or du’a), salah is prayed in congregation (importance of keeping close to the jama’), it’s about the mosque, it’s about sacrificing time, it’s everyday….

The most amazing thing is that his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) last words, his last concern before leaving the world was for us. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was thinking about our well being, our guidance until he breathed his last (صلى الله عليه وسلم). The mercy to the world, may Allah bless and raise the rank of His Messenger, His beloved, the final Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Loving the beloved (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

An inspirational speech by Shaykh Dr Sa’id Ramadan al-Buti (may Allah preserve him):

Ladies and gentlemen, at the beginning of my talk I’d like to express my sorrow and apologise for not being able to attend this blessed Conference of yours. In short, the reason for my absence is not having been able to obtain an entry visa. The only consolation for my absence is our belief that there’s good in whatever Allah exalted and high chooses for us, and I hope that Allah swt will bless me with another opportunity to meet you in another blessed meeting.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have no doubt that the motive behind your celebration of the birth of the Prophet (pbuh) and making his birth the central theme of such meetings and of this blessed Conference in particular - I have no doubt that what motivated you is your wish to renew your pledge (bay’a) with the Prophet (pbuh) out of your belief in his Prophethood and following his way and out of love for his sirah and in order to spread his message. I have no doubt that this is what motivated you to organise this Conference and have as its central theme the birth of the Prophet (pbuh).

Indeed this makes me even more sorry for not being able to participate with you in this blessed Conference, I further believe that you would not use this Conference to achieve any worldly gains, and you wouldn’t involve any if these religious activities in partisan competitions or to seek any political gains. I believe that whoever has strong belief in Allah exalted and high is He, and whose heart is dominated by the love of Allah and his Prophet (pbuh) wouldn’t veil himself from the love of Allah and his Prophet (pbuh) through collecting worldly gains or seeking them or exploiting such activities as a means towards such ends; I ask Allah swt to make me and you firm on this stance which I hope that we will all meet Allah swt while committed to it, with our faces brightened with our sincere devotion to Him and His religion.

However, dear brothers and sisters let me ask myself and ask you: What would keep us firm on this way ? What would keep us walking on the path of Allah swt, following on the footsteps of His Prophet, loving his sirah and spreading his message without having any ulterior motives beyond that? What is the guarantee that makes us committed to this path? In reality, rational belief exists and I can’t doubt it. I believe that each of us rationally believe in Allah swt and rationally believe in the Prophet (pbuh), yet this rational belief cannot by itself be the guarantee to remain on this path away from the worldly influences, away from the various temptations of this world. Rational belief is a reaction and not an action, one can’t make the decision to answer the question 1 + 1 = 10 for example; he’s compelled to say 1 + 1 = 2. Rational matters always involve compulsory reactions rather than a conscious decision.

I ask again, what is the guarantee that makes us firm on this path that I have described to you, sincere to Allah, ever alert to ensure that nothing influences our goals except seeking Allah’s pleasure? The answer is Love.

Love of Allah swt and then love of the Prophet (pbuh) is the only guarantee to keep us firm on seeking the pleasure of Allah SWT, without being tempted by worldly things and without being influenced by any temptations or divisions or blind following of any madhab or group .

Love, as Imam Shateby says, brings closer what is far, causes iron to melt, and makes what is difficult easy, but if the heart is devoid of the love of Allah and love of His messenger then I believe it would be easy for us and for many orientalists to follow the same path, and it would be very easy for us to do so because they (the orientalists) also believe in the same things we believe in - rational belief is a common feature between us and many of them, but what is the difference between those who write about rational proofs of God’s existence a lot more than what we write, and talk about the life of the Prophet (pbuh) with more respect and reverence than us? The difference is that they talk about it in a rational way, devoid of the flame of love, whereas the believer in Allah swt, whereas we - and I hope that this is true of us - the difference is that love of Allah and hence the love of His Prophet has filled our hearts. You may remember the saying of the Prophet (pbuh): “None of you believes until Allah and His messenger are more beloved to him than any one else.”

However, I’d like to suppose that we need to feed this flame of love within our hearts. I don’t think we need to strengthen our rational belief because such a belief can reach a peak, whereas love has no limit. We need to strengthen this love within our hearts to chase away the lower love and strengthen the higher love.

How can we renew our love of the Prophet (pbuh) within this blessed Conference that you have organised seeking the pleasure of Allah and His Prophet? There are several methods but I shall summarise and say: loving someone who loves us is something natural and I don’t believe that it’s a conscious decision. The Prophet (pbuh) loved us, and I don’t think that I’m making an empty claim because there are numerous proofs for us - specially that I’m basing this on my starting point that we all believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you had only organised this Conference seeking Allah’s pleasure. Well, we would all like to increase our love for the Prophet (pbuh) so we can guard our lives against temptations, deviations and forgetfulness: To love the Prophet (pbuh) as he loves us is the way.

I present to you the following scene that deeply moved me , and I believe that all of us should embody this example whenever we feel that this world seeping into our hearts. The night the Prophet (pbuh) passed away, he went out to the cemetery of al-Baqee’ - as narrated by Imam Malik in his book al-Muwatta’ and by other scholars - he greeted the people of al-Baqee’, then he said, “I wished that I had met my brothers.” One of his Companions asked him, “Are we not your brothers O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “No, you are my Companions, my brothers are those who have not yet come, and I’ll precede them await them at the Fountain.” They said, “Do you know them O Messenger of Allah? How will you welcome them when you have not seen them?” He said, “You see one who has noble horses with white circles signs on their foreheads and ankles (Ghorran muhajjaleen) mixed in with common horses, would he not recognise them?” They said, “Yes.” So he said, “So will I know them, for they will have white circles of light on their foreheads and ankles (Ghorran muhajjaleen) from the traces of wudhu’”. This is what the Prophet said in longing for us.

When we think about this longing that overwhelmed the heart of our beloved Prophet (pbuh) should we not feel the same longing for him? Should we not love him the way he loves us? Indeed, that would be natural. This scene is one we should never forget dear ladies and gentlemen. The Prophet (pbuh) just as he loved and cared for his Companions he felt the same for his brothers who had not yet come, and I pray to Allah swt that we will be among them.

At the end of this talk, I’d like to mention another situation but this time a negative one, even though one usually would not mention separation (jafaa’) at the time of rejoicing (safaa’), but nevertheless I’d like to mention it as a deterrent for us. The Prophet (pbuh) says, “Indeed some would be taken away from my Fountain just like lost cattle, I would say let them come, let them come, they would say you do not know what they did after you, I would say away with them, away with them, away with them.

Two images, the first one, I truly hope that we would be amongst them, those who didn’t deviate and remained steadfast on the pledge, faithful to Allah, and to his messenger (pbuh), and the love of Allah and the love of his messenger (pbuh) overwhelming their heart, they didn’t look to the temptations and distractions and didn’t justify their deviations; I hope and I pray to Allah to make me and you among them. Then the Prophet (pbuh) would welcome us and the signs of his love would be apparent on us.

In contrast, the other image, which we should be cautious lest we may fall into it and be of those who are removed from the Fountain (hawdh) like lost cattle; the Prophet (pbuh) would say, “Let them come” which shows that they appear like Muslims, they used to raise the banner of da’wa to Allah, and they used to talk about Islam and Iman so you would assume that they would be with their brothers on the day of judgment, but the Prophet (pbuh) is surprised that they would be taken away, the explanation is “You do not know what they have done after you.” They were not faithful to the pledge, they were not faithful to the message which the Prophet (pbuh) left with them.

I do not wish to dwell on the temptations and distractions which make us justify changing and deviating. The scholars of shariah agree that the interests that the shariah came to protect are based on the Text (Qur’an and Sunnah) and that one cannot recognise any interests that contradict the Text, remember this important rule dear ladies and gentlemen. If there was a need for our souls to burn with love for the Prophet (pbuh) then study his sirah. I don’t think there is a human being who has love for humanity whose heart wouldn’t be filled with the love of the Prophet (pbuh). Muhammad (pbuh) is the source of all human values.

Let me relate to you an example that I never forget which I want each one of you to emulate everyday. After the end of the battle of Hunain, the Prophet (pbuh) gave a large share of the booty to those who had recently embraced Islam from among the people of Meccah considering them recent converts (al-mu’allafatu quloobuhom). The Prophet (pbuh) heard that some of the Ansar were saying to one another may Allah forgive the Prophet, he gives these people while our swords are still dripping with their blood. The Prophet (pbuh) heard about this so he gathered those people in an isolated place and he gave them a sermon. Let’s listen to what he said and reflect upon it. He praised Allah and glorified him and said: “O people of Ansar, I heard something regarding you. Did I not come to you while you were astray and Allah guided you through me? Were you not disunited and Allah united you through me? Were you not destitute and Allah enriched you through me?” Everytime he asked one of those questions they said: “Indeed O Messenger of Allah, to Allah and His Messenger be all praise and gratitude.” The Prophet (pbuh) stood and said, “Will you not respond O people of Ansar?” They said, “We do respond O Messenger of Allah, indeed He did, to Allah and His messenger be all praise and gratitude.” Once again the Prophet (pbuh) asked them, “Will you not reply?” They said, “How should we reply?” He said, “By Allah if you had wished you could’ve said and you would’ve been truthful: You came to us chased away by your people and we gave you refuge, defeated and we gave you victory, and belied and we believed in you.” i.e. he said you could’ve responded that you have also given me in return. Then he said, “O people of Ansar, did you feel something in your heart just for a little wealth I had given to some people so that they believe, entrusting you to your belief. Would you not be pleased that people go back with sheep and camels while you go back with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh); by Allah, that with which you go back is far better than that with which they go back. Indeed - by Allah - had it not been for the fact that I migrated I would’ve been one of the Ansar. People are my outer garment and the Ansar are my inner garment. You will find selfishness after me so be patient until you meet me at the Fount. O Allah have mercy on the Ansar and on the children of the Ansar and on the children of the children of the Ansar.” The people cried until their beards were wet.

Dear brothers and sisters we have been deprived of meeting the Prophet (pbuh), but we were not deprived of hearing these words and of seeing these human emotions.

I just wish to say one thing which might be an answer to a question that might be in your minds: What about those who insult the Prophet (pbuh) or rather they do not insult him, for no one can insult the Prophet (pbuh) but they only try. We have greater mission which should make us ignore their attempts. What is that mission? It is to embody the message of Islam which our Prophet has brought us and make every effort towards that goal. Then to convey that message in the way our Prophet conveyed it, to clarify to people the true image of Islam, to show them the true character of the Prophet (pbuh) using the attractive Prophetic methods, to address this Western world which is lost in its ignorance out of mercy and love for them, to introduce them to the sacred message with which our Prophet was sent to the whole of mankind. If we fulfilled this obligation with which Allah has entrusted us we would find ourselves too busy to pay attention to such people. Dear brothers and sisters, leave them alone, do not busy yourselves with them. Instead of running after them and focusing on them thinking that we are doing something for Islam, we should plan our actions to seek Allah’s pleasure motivated by two things: our rational belief in Allah, and our love for him and His Messenger, remaining between these two fundamentals.

I pray that Allah accepts this gathering of yours, and I pray that Allah makes it one of those meetings which Abdullah Ibn Rawaha called for every now and then, asking the Companions “Let us sit and remember Allah.”

I pray that Allah swt brings us together and praise be to Allah Lord of the worlds.

Source link and video of speech (in Arabic) - http://www.sirahtour.com/

Famous Last Words

Famous last words before death….  Some are quite frightening.  Wonder what our last words will be?  May Allah give us a husn ul khatim, amin.

 { - }

Go on, get out - last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.
To his housekeeper, who urged him to tell her his last words so she could write them down for posterity.
Karl Marx, revolutionary, d. 1883

Let’s cool it brothers . . .
Spoken to his assassins, 3 men who shot him 16 times.
Malcolm X, Black leader, d. 1966

I am a Queen, but I have not the power to move my arms.
Louise, Queen of Prussia, d. 1820

God will pardon me, that’s his line of work.
Heinrich Heine, poet, d. February 15, 1856

All my possessions for a moment of time.
Elizabeth I, Queen of England, d. 1603

My God. What’s happened?
Diana (Spencer), Princess of Wales, d. August 31, 1997

I’m bored with it all.
Before slipping into a coma. He died 9 days later.
Winston Churchill, statesman, d. January 24, 1965

How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?
P. T. Barnum, entrepreneur, d. 1891

Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.
Oscar Wilde, writer, d. November 30, 1900

I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.
Leonardo da Vinci, artist, d. 1519

Lord help my poor soul.
Edgar Allan Poe, writer, d. October 7, 1849

Why do you weep. Did you think I was immortal?
Louis XIV, King of France, d. 1715

I see black light.
Victor Hugo, writer, d. May 22, 1885

Damn it . . . Don’t you dare ask God to help me.
To her housekeeper, who had begun to pray aloud.
Joan Crawford, actress, d. May 10, 1977

“I don’t know.”
Abelard, Peter. Philosopher (1079-1142)

“To the strongest.”
Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.)

“Now comes the mystery.”
Beecher, Henry Ward. Abolitionist (1813-1887)

“Pity, pity . . . too late!”
Beethoven, Ludwig van. Composer (1770-1827)

“What’s this?”
Bernstein, Leonard. Composer (1918-1990)

“Do you know where I can get any shit?”
Died of drug overdose with needle still stuck in his arm
Bruce, Lenny (Leonard Schneider). Comedian (1925-1966)

“You too, Brutus?”
Caesar, Julius Gaius (100-44 B.C.)

“Why not? After all, it belongs to him.”
In response to priest attending over deathbed saying: “May the Lord have mercy on your soul”
Chaplin, Charles. Actor (1889-1977)

“You sons of bitches. Give my love to Mother.”
..before being executed
Crowley, Francis “Two Gun” (1900-1931)

“I am not the least afraid to die.”
Darwin, Charles (1809-1882)

“We have a major problem, a major power problem, it looks as though we’re, er, going in, we’re going in”.
Mike Roberts, Pilot of Plane that crashed in Kent March 2008.

“My dear Schur, you remember our first talk. You promised to help me when I could no longer carry on. It is only torture now, and it has no longer any sense.”
Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939)

“Let not my end disarm you, and on no account weep or keen for me, let the enemy be warned of my death”
Genghis, Khan of the Mongols (1155?-1227)

“I know you have come to kill me. Shoot, coward. You are only going to kill a man.”
Guevara, Ernesto “Che” (1928-1967)

“Capital punishment; them without the capital get the punishment.”
About to be executed
Spenkelink, John 1979

“Tomorrow, I shall no longer be here.”
Nostradamus (Michel de Notre Dame) 1503-1566

“As salah! As salah!” (The prayer! The prayer!)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Taken from various sources including Wikiquote and Corsinet

 

This is Love…

From a talk given by Shaykh Habib Ali al-Jiffry last night (paraphrased).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was on a journey with some of his companions and his wife ‘Aisha (ra). He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) noticed from Aisha’s face she was getting weary from the journey, so to be with her in private and comfort her he told the rest of the companions to go on ahead. Habib said this is the haya (humilty/shyness) Muslims should have, intimacy between husband and wife is not something to be shown in public view, other cultures have different levels of haya, this is the Muslim etiquette.

So the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) comforted ‘Aisha (ra) then asked if she wanted a race? She replied yes, and they raced. ‘Aisha (ra) narrates that she won. Sometime later, ‘Aisha (ra) says when she had put on a bit more weight, they raced again but this time Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) won. He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said this is for that time.

Habib Ali said by saying “this os for that time” the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is showing ‘Aisha (ra) that he remembers every little intimate moment they shared, no matter how long ago it was. These moments are special.

Another narration Habib told us, again narrated by ‘Asiah (ra) herself (paraphrased) -

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and ‘Aisha (ra) had a disagreement, ‘Aisha was angry with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) so the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) suggetsed they call ‘Aisha’s father, Abu Bakr (ra), to mediate between them. So they went to Abu Bakr (ra) and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked ‘Aisha (ra) if she wanted to go first (Habib pointed out this in an example of the courtesy of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), even in a disagreement he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had the utmost adab). ‘Aisha (ra) replied “No, you go first but speak the truth!” Abu Bakr (ra) was shocked at this, how dare she speak to the Messenger of God (صلى الله عليه وسلم) like that?! He raised his hands to hit her and ‘Aisha (ra) ran behind the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) for protection. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to Abu Bakr (ra) “No Abu Bakr, we didn’t call you for this, we called you to arbitrate between us!”

‘Aisha (ra) knew despite being in an argument with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), he is someone she can always turn to for mercy, he is a mercy to the whole world (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

 

Passwords

I counted approximately 48 things I frequently use, most daily, that require passwords -

Home and work PC
12 software programs for work
Work phone login
Work kitchen entrance code
4 private email accounts
3 forums
Blog
Online banking
ATM machine
Switch pin number
Mastercard pin number
Online card payment
Prayer facility code
2 online magazine subscriptions
Mobile phone customer service + online service
About 16 online shops (used at least once in the last 6 months)

I don’t have 48 different passwords, probably 15, but I change these every couple of months. Everyday repetitively typing the same meaningless randomly chosen words, an old password I once had was “butrosbutrosghali”?!! Anyone who has tried to learn a new language will know that repetition = memorisation.

So to utilise this banal action I thought it may be a good idea to change my passwords to words I want to memorise. Like difficult Arabic words I have trouble remembering, or even better, memorising words from a Quranic dictionary so as to better familiarise with the vocabulary of the Quran.  Could use the names of famous sahaba, short du’a etc etc…

Just an idea, may seem insignificant but everything we do, every moment will be accounted for.

Passwords

Centre of the Universe

Salutation

All exaltation is for Allah alone
You are The One with no Beginning,
The Living with no End
Nothing happens except by Your will
All good is from You
All evil is from our own doing
Forgiveness and guidance we seek from You alone
And You bestow it to whomever You please

O Allah send salutations of peace and blessings upon Your final Messenger
the Mercy to the worlds
the best of creation
the most trustworthy
the intercessor
the Prophet Muhammad
who is Your beloved

The truest love that can be experienced in this world is love for him (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
For he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is the most beloved to You
So no one has tasted true love until they have fallen in love with him (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

O Allah purify this salutation from all negative intentions and make it one overflowing with love

Make it the most fitting salutation,
from Your knowledge of what would be most befitting for him (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

Make it a unique salutation that no angel has ever recorded
one which astounds them
and brings tranquillity to all inhabitants of this world
and all those in their graves
a salutation that lights up the heavens and the lower worlds

Then multiply the salutation O Allah
by every atom in existence
and that will ever exist
and by every part of the atom

Then make the salutation exponentially rise in greatness and keep rising for eternity

O Allah, let us be from amongst those that meet him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the next world and this world
let us be from those that accompany him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in Jannah
and accompany his sunnah in every aspect of our lives in this world
make us imbibe and live by it’s inner and outer realities

O Allah favour us the way you favoured the companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
the righteous and the elect saints
Accept this salutation in the way they made their salawat
bless us with what they received from their intentions

Give us a spiritual state and busy us with works that You are pleased with and which brings joy to Your Messenger Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

O Allah grant us from your Mercy eternal bliss to all those who read this salawat
to all our families, friends and neighbours.

And bless the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), his family, his companions, the saliheen, the awliya and all the Muslims.

Amin.

Engrossed with the Qur’an

The Sahabi Abu Sa’id (ra) narrates that Rasul Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Allah All Mighty says; “If anybody finds no time for My remembrance and for begging favours of Me, because of his remaining busy with the Holy Qur’an, I shall give him more than what I give to all those who beg favours of Me.

The superiority of the Word of Allah over all other words is like the superiority of Allah over the entire creation.”

In other words, compared to those who are begging favours of Allah, He will surely confer some better reward on a person who remains so occupied with committing the Qur’an to memory or learning and understanding it that he hardly gets time for du’a.

TV Dinners and Adab

“TV dinner ruin children manners” according to the Association of Schools and College Leaders.

Lack of a traditional family meal has produced a generation of kids with bad manners, head teachers have warned.
Since parents allow their children to eat while watching TV, the responsibility of teaching kids how to communicate with one another has come on the shoulders of schools.
Source

The Arabic word for manners or etiquette - “adab”, also means “feast” or “banquet”. It was traditionally understood that during meal times children learned manners and proper etiquette. How to behave with adults, elders, siblings, those younger than them. They also gained communication skills from the dinner table conversation.

People from societies closer to “fitra” find it strange that some people have meals on their own, and those even more closer to fitra find it weird people eat on separate plates!

On a holiday to Marrakesh me and my wife met an American family who have settled there (2nd generation converts i.e. their parents converted so they were born Muslim), one of the highlights of our trip was having sharing a meal with their family - one Tagine dish between 8 people, a couple and their two young kids and their grandparents. Sharing emphasised because this is one of the most important qualities you learn from this experience. It was Friday so it’s tradition to have meat, we had a delicious lamb tagine with couscous.

As we were the guests the people sitting next to us were breaking off the nice bits of the meat and placing it on our part of the bowl, doing it quite subtly as well that we didn’t always notice.

There is also more barakah in a shared meal, I didn’t think 1 tagine would be enough for 8 people but all of us ate until we were full and there were left over’s for the cats.

The Arabic language is filled with these beautiful insights, it is a miraculous language. It’s fascinating the ASC have found the link between manners and meals, while this understanding was built within the language of the Arabs since pre-Islamic times.