Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
We shall pass through this world but once.
Therefore, any good thing I can do,
For any living being,
Let me do it now.
Let me not defer it or neglect it,
For I shall not pass this way again.
- Anonymous (though sometimes attributed to Mahatma Gandhi).
Ya Haqq!
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beautiful truth! thank you for reminding us all …
As Salaamu Alaikum:
Sometimes we forget that part of the reason for our being here in the dunya IS to do good deeds!
Wonderful Brother Irving ….
Good timing brother. This reminder is so appropriate for me
JazakaAllah
How do I make this good contribution when I am so walled off from it? I feel like the deeper and beautiful meanings of life that I held so close in my heart has been drained out of me. I fear that I will miss my opportunity on this pass in life.. but maybe I had to sacrifice mine by allowing another to contribute their good in the world. Maybe *that* was my good deed…
Salaam Brother Jehanzeb:
Do not despair. As long as you have life, you have a chance to do a good deed for another person. A kind word or a smile in passing can brighten someones day :) There are no deeper meanings in life than to love and serve all of creation as best as you are able. For a drink of water to quench the thirst of a panting dog, Bayazid exchanged fifty years of prayer and pilgrimage. That is the worth of one good deed, done out of love for one of God’s creatures. It is the truth of this life and our hope in the next.
And Allah knows best.
Ya Haqq!
It hurts to smile. It hurts to write poetry. It hurts to play the piano. It hurts to do all that I Love doing. Each day is a battle. I wonder if Rumi ever went to the Garden he Loved and found it burnt to ashes. That’s where I am.
Salaam Dear Brother Jehanzeb:
My heart aches for you. If it hurts to smile, smile anyway. If it hurts to write poetry, write it through your pain. If it hurts to play the piano, play your pain. Rumi’s life was turned to ashes when Shams left him, but he asked for God’s help.
When you experience pain,
ask God for forgiveness.
By the command of the Creator,
it will be eliminated.
For when He decrees, pain becomes joy,
and fetters become freedom.
- Rumi, Mathnawi, 1:836-37
I swear to you, this is the truth. May Allah bless you and ease your pain of body and mind and heart. Ameen.
Ya Haqq!
Salaam Brother Irving,
All your words are beautiful… as is the post :)
Best regards.
Salamaat,
beautiful reminders ya darvish….i love Ghandi and all those who have blazed the trail of goodness and courage for the rest of us…
I have been thinking lately that there are so many tiny ways we can help in the world and they all make a difference. Every day I find that unexpected opportunities come my way – they are so easily missed.
i think i heard it was by a female poet, not sure, maybe emily dickinson? i’ll look into it.
i googled it and apparently it’s also been attributed to william penn and stephen grellet.
deep , beautiful
just quick FYI: I am enjoying reading your book
It was very beautiful and so true. Gandhi is a great thinker indead..
Salaam Dear Sisters:
Thank you all for your kindness :) Lovepeace, thank you for the information. Frieda, I am happy that you are enjoying Master of the Jinn :)
Ya Haqq!
I have always loved this quote. Thank you for sharing it with us here…
And for your heart of compassion which beats so vibrantly from these pages,
With love to you dear Brother, M
great quote.