fake plastic words

"The National Fatwa Council will come out with a ruling on yoga exercise on Friday"

I get that Yoga is an important philosophical and spiritual component in Buddhism and Hinduism. And I get that Islam rejects worshiping idols and statues, and that most Hindu statues depicts their gods in a state of Yogic meditation (sitting crossed legs, with both hands rested on each knee). So, I suppose, that's the rationale behind National Fatwa Council's move to ban Muslims from practicing Yoga. It all boils down to the practice of Yoga's close links to the two religions. I mean, anything non-Muslim is pure evil right? Even though Buddhism is the only religion in the history of mankind to have never exercised violence in the name of religion, they're still pure evil. Right?

"When those involved take them as trends, such cultures can lead to a serious crime according to Syariah law and this can destroy the family institution", said Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz.

I have to agree with him. There is no doubt that practicing Yoga, sitting crossed legged like a Hindu god, stretching arms and legs, and controlling your breathing, will lead you astray from the teachings of Islam, castrate yourself from your family and the rest of Muslim brothers and sisters, and eventually shake the very foundations of Islam. Mimicking any action that is similar to anything other than Islam can "lead to a serious crime". It is also quite "trendy" to take up an activity such as Yoga, therefore this "cult" has a potential to convince Muslims to deviate from the teachings of Islam. Yes, stretching limbs and breathing can actually be that seductive, powerful and evil.

I would like to propose to the National Fatwa Council to include in a few more in their what-to-ban-next-because-we-ain't-got-shit-to-do list. These additions might help feed their boredom, those poor old foggies.

The Council should take these into account as well,

- Television
- Internet
- Non-Islamic clothing
- Magazines
- Music performances
- Cinemas
- Non-Islamic books
- Close relationships to non-Muslims
- Intimate conversations with non-Muslims
- and many, many, many, many, many, many more.

There are just too many things that are plaguing the Muslim community. The evil Western culture has infiltrated into the minds and souls of our young ones through mediums such as the Internet, television, magazines, and concerts. Even if you're an Ustaz or Ustazah with a vast knowledge of Islam and having an iman as tough as diamonds, demonic activities such as Yoga can still lead you astray and ultimately send you to Hell for all eternity.

Islamic councils worldwide must join forces and erase all these terrible, terrible demons (e.g. technology). We must save ourselves and our souls. For the sake of our family and fellow Muslim brothers and sisters.

And the only way that we can ever flourish and eventually book a one-way ticket to Heaven is to nuke our asses back to the 4th century BC. Where our only form of amusement is juggling rocks, riding camels and peeing in the river. There won't be television nor the Internet to tarnish our beliefs. There won't be any dangerous activities to lead us astray.

Especially, Yoga.

p/s: Remember kids, if we ever become evil, it is never our fault, but always someone or something else's fault. Especially the kafirs.

3:19 PM
Categories: fatwa, heresy, idiocy, islam, muslim, nonsense, random, rant, stupidity, yoga. Author: sleepwalker

12:48 AM
Categories: beauty, childhood, islam, memories, peace, raya, serenity, takbir. Author: sleepwalker

"On the night of the Lailatulqadar, the Archangel Gabriel leads a group of angels and sweeps down the Earth. They would scour the lands and whisper prayers to every living Muslim brothers and sisters. The Archangel Gabriel has 100 wings, but two of which he only opens once every year during the Holy Night. And on the Holy Night of the Lailatulqadar, the angel Gabriel would spread his two sacred wings so wide that it covers the Earth from East to West."

The taklim Subuh was read in Bahasa, of course. It was difficult trying to remember what was said on that early morning. I can only vaguely remember the story. The sun was rising, the air was cold, quiet, calm. Everyone was half asleep, including me. I can't recall from which Hadith was the story taken from. But I do remember that it is one of the very few that really struck and stuck with me.

2:51 AM
Categories: angel, gabriel, holy night, islam, jibrail, lailatulqadar, muslims, ramadhan, subuh, taklim. Author: sleepwalker

Happy birthday my dear budak kecik, semi-stranger, and now, imaginary ex-girlfriend.

I remember you once asked me, "Am I strong?". I knew fully well how you were feeling at that time, and the rational thing to do would be to utter words of optimism, of encouragement. Positive cliches, albeit overused, are true. To a certain extent. But sometimes we need to hear the truth. Without rose-tinted glasses, without lacing words with sweet hypnotic perfume. Sometimes we need to know things as it really is. And there will be times that we'll need exactly that.

But that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing. It really isn't. The truth is difficult. Having to face reality is difficult. Life, being the way it is, is composed of constants and variables. I believe that the "truth", in the most general sense of the word, is a variable. I may have done bad things in the past, I cannot change the truth in that. But because of what I had to endure, I learned that I can change that "truth" today so that I will not repeat the same mistakes tomorrow.

I replied back to you, "You are not strong". Because as of that particular moment, you were not. We all have moments like that. And it is also one of those infinite number of variables in life that we all just have to deal with. Even at the most trying of times, you can change that. When? How? Well, that is all up to you.

It is written that life is fated and predestined, but never forget that God gave us free will for a reason. And it is our duty, whoever we are, whatever our beliefs are, to utilise it to our very best. To search for that constant in life, whatever it may be. In hopes that it will give us something strong, something concrete, a constant truth if you may, to hold on to dear life and enjoy the ride for better or worse, in sickness and in health, in death and in dreams.

You may not be strong today. But isn't it true that we need to be weak to be strong? That we need to learn to walk before we run. That to be able to climb a thousand stairs we need to take that first step. It is only natural to fall and falter every once in awhile. Sometimes we trip over a small boulder, sometimes we fall into bottomless pits of despair and hopelessness. But isn't that just the other half of the yin and yang of life? The other duality. The central idea and concept in life, in Islam. There is the beginning and the end, good and evil, weak and strong, male and female, black and white, life and death.

I've never believed that the other half of life's duality to be something bad nor should we fear it. Darkness is not darkness in itself, rather it is merely an absence of light. It is just a necessary evil. And necessary evils are, of course, a necessity. For a good reason.

Fix your variables. Find your constant. And believe in yourself. Nothing in the world can stop you from finding what you want.

I hope you will one day see the light in yourself. Because believe me, I see it in you.

"Is it true that some of our strength comes from suffering? That suffering hardships makes us stronger? That those of us who have never known a real hardship, and true suffering, cannot have the same strength as others, who have suffered much? And if that is true, does that not mean that your argument is the same thing as saying that we have to be weak to suffer, and we have to suffer to be strong, so we have to be weak to be strong?" - K.

3:55 AM
Categories: birthday, constant, duality, friends, islam, life, truth, variable. Author: sleepwalker

I can still vividly remember hearing the takbir Raya for the first time. I was a few years old back then when we were still living in Taman Putra. It was early in the morning, just as the sun was rising, at an unusual time for me to be up. Wandering around the house bored and groggy, I heard a faint sound coming from the outside.

Out of curiosity, I walked to the locked front door to peer outside and inspect what that sound was and where was it coming from. I looked around and saw people with white jubah and baju melayu walking towards the nearby mosque. I clutched the cold grills with both hands, with complete childlike wonder, peering further to that faint, mysterious sound.

And then it came. Floating frighteningly, rapidly, soothingly through the peaceful still morning air. The serene music sent tiny ripples throughout my body. A million goosebumps erupted on my skin and sent a sudden shiver down my spine. That was how I felt the first time in my life that I heard the takbir Raya. Years and years have since passed, and it still gives me that same feeling from that morning in Taman Putra. That sensation that resonates and uplifts me like nothing else. A sense of peace and melancholic serenity.

I've never heard of any sound, any song, any music, more beautiful than that. And I know I'll never hear anything else that will sound any more beautiful than that.

10:20 PM
Categories: beauty, childhood, islam, memories, peace, raya, religion, serenity, takbir. Author: sleepwalker