The Journey

I was in Oxford two years ago and came across my all time favourite book The Alchemist mist. I had read it aged 14 and now again at aged 40. I really connected to his story of going on journey of finding your life mission, only to find what you needed was right at your doorstep. I too have had similar experiences like this. And thought I would share my faves! 

Empowerment over luxury

It all begins with my Hero. My role model. The man whose legacy you will see me carry. My Grandpops who we all call Abbaji. I know you are wondering more about him. I would be too, if I was you.

He was an avid socialist who was born in an era of the British Empire, before the creation of Pakistan. It was an era of social injustice where looting was common.

On one occasion, Abbaji had gone to Delhi to help out during the riots. He was good like that. Years later when he was a newsagent in Leeds, he would always give the younger kids free milky bars. That was just his kind nature.

Going back to Delhi, his purpose to help out. He wanted to help the people safely escape without harm. He would always share this particular story with us. It was a household of only women folk, quite wealthy and affluent with cars and drivers. He used to say to us ‘you got a nice merc now, they had American style cars back then’. It was also not the social norm for wealthy women to drive. It was beneath them. They had all the luxuries you can dream of.

So, here the drivers had all escaped and the women were unable to drive and here was my Abbaji, helping these women escape. I bet you're thinking I am glad I am from this era and safe.

Abbaji told me that he had vowed to himself then, that when he married he would make sure that not only did he teach his sons how to drive but he would also teach his daughters how to drive. Funnily enough years later, when I came along, he decided to take me for a driving lesson in our local cash and carry car park.

Be like Coffee

After my Grandad passed away, I had a choice. I had always wanted to follow in his footstep and find my own spiritual path, now was the time to decide would I begin to change now or later? I decided now was the time. So, I started my quest to find a Man of God. It was deep passion residing inside of me. In this quest one of the first places I took myself off too was Bradford, a place we jokingly call Bradistan. 

A convert scholar was over from California and it was someone who I admired for his outreach work. He was all about mindfulness and healing, Good food and good lifestyle. He was also into his coffee. You knew if you ever visited him the coffee would be divine. He wasn’t just a coffee snob he was coffee elite. I can smell the coffee now, can you?

This man is very deep but with the simplest of words. In this talk he gave an analogy. He said three things were needed. An egg, a carrot and some coffee beans. He also said a pot of boiling water was needed too.

The man who had the most sophisticated outreach program in California, where people would travel from all over the world to learn from him was telling a story that seemed to be a cooking lesson. Can you imagine this? What is this all about? Surely there will be something deeper. There better be!

My friends who had studied under him, saw him as a Guru... Was I at master chef or master spirituality?

I didn’t think I was learning anything. That was right because I hadn’t heard the ending yet. He asked what happened when you boiled a carrot. Floppy shouted someone in audience. Then he asked what happens when you boil an egg. Someone said it becomes hard. I was still waiting for him to tell me his pearls. For I can smell the coffee now, can you?

The Californian Scholar said when you boil an egg on hot water it become hard, a carrot floppy. You are now wondering about the coffee beans right. Well, coffee beans it changes the whole aroma of the water, the essence, the flavour, even the texture. 

Right beneath your nose

One of the first men of God I met was on a mountain, literally. We were climbing Mount Snowdon, it was my second time and I was really looking forward to getting to the top.

He was really annoying me and though we remained in touch, a few years later in the midst of a triggering conversation and he made me end our friendship. I decided I needed space and no longer wanted him as my mentor or friend. Reluctantly he accepted my choice. As I was always looking forward . Shortly after I went on my own journey.

Around two Ramadans ago I had a dream of one of my mentors turning into another man. After a quick google search, I found out who the second man , he was also a scholar, the name sake of my grandpops and a disciple of my grand master. He was also very good friend of one of my teachers and now I wanted to know more and more about this man. . After all, he must be someone special he was the name sake of my grandfather. How could I not? Whilst all this was going on, I heard my old mentor was ill. I reached out. It had been over 2 and half years since we had last spoke.

When I mentioned to my old mentor I had a dream of Scholar who lived in his hometown. He burst out laughing as that was the man who was his families spiritual master and a close friend. His family even had albums and relics from their interactions with both him and the Grand master. I was promptly invited to see the prayer room that contained all the photos. I was able to learn even more now than before. And though I could have seen all this before travelling across the world, it was better to do it this way. There was a lot of nlp clean up work and trips that needed to have taken placed before I could return. 

Be Firm like a tree

Before my mentor and I stopped talking, he was quite a big part of my journey. He knew I loved trees, asked me to join him for a nature walk in Epping Forrest. I knew it was going to me a deep spiritual walk and I had the things to learn.

I have always had a love for tree… as a child I would read a special prayer so Allah would plant a tree in heaven for me. The house I grew up in didn’t have a tree. I really do love trees. As we walked into the forest, there was a strong gush of wind. My focus at the time was on the branches breaking. As the wind calmed down, the tree itself had been barely affected. The tree was the one that had won. A bit like running water. I could see clearly now that the trees had remarkably thick deep roots, quite magnificent and beautiful protruding well above the ground. But of course, I could not see the roots underground which was the majority of the roots.

In Epping Forest we noticed that the roots of the trees were the systems that were supporting them from beneath the ground. Strong healthy deep foundations which weathered all kind of storms. They let go of branches and shred leaves when necessary for regrowth. All the while the roots were not being affected by the weather.

Be like the fourth Rabbi

As you know I was very much on my spiritual journey. And as I was trusting the processing, I started to read more and more. Gone were the Rom Coms. I had reconnected to my old fave the Alchemist. We have all heard of that one, right? You may not have heard of my new fave. It is called the Women who runs with the wolves. I’m really taking my time to explore and connect to this book. The story that stands out the most in that book is the one about the four Rabbis. I quote this story often.

The four Rabbis were all individually visited by an Angel and carried to the Seventh heavens. There they saw the majesty and glory of the Lord and his creations in heaven.

On their return to Earth, the first Rabi having seen such Splendour lost his mind and wandered frothing and forming till the end of his days.

The second was extremely cynical. It was just a dream, nothing really happened. The third carried on and on about what he had seen and became totally obsessed. He lectured on how it was all constructed and what it meant and this way he went astray and betrayed of his faith.

The fourth, who was poet, took pen to paper, sat writing song after song praising the evening, the dove, his daughter in her cradle and all the stars in the sky and lived his life better than before.

All four Rabbis shared that the same experience and as magnificent as it was, it yielded different results for each of them. I bet your wondering why? One can easily see. I also know which Rabbi you would want to be.