Spiritual Photography

For my true sustenance, I must turn to the Light and to His Light ﷺ!

Allāhummu ṣalli wa sallim wa bārik ʿalā as-sirāj al-wahhāj.

O Allāh, send blessings, peace, and honor upon the blazing lamp.

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Sometimes I am stuck in a whirlpool of my own making.  It is a whirlpool that pulls me down and keeps my heart imprisoned to that which Allah does not have hubb-love for.  

It is only through the arrival of my true companions (ashāb) and the guidance and example that they set that I am gifted to exit that centripetal force.

Oh Allah!  Alllow us to always be in the companionship of those that elevate us to greater and greater spiritual heights and freedom.  Oh Allah! Make us from truthful – the siddiqīn…

Interesting how in the middle of a reminder about death, He teaches us about our resurrection as well…

Some images clearly speak for themselves.

May Allah keep the gaze of our heart always directed to Him and His Beloved (ﷺ).

Empty, Empty, Empty

Most prayer niches are stark affairs.  To the best of my recollection, I could not remember one that had anything except perhaps some ornamentation.

I never really thought about why that was the case but perhaps it is a subtle reminder to empty my self when turning to the Divine.  Don’t come with a full cup.

But, at last, I came upon this masjid with a special calligraphic panel inside of the mihrab.  Perhaps if I empty, empty, empty, Allah will fill me up with that which He loves.

This is the spot where the janaza (funeral) prayer is prayed at the Yeni Valide Cami (masjid) in Üsküdar.

The aya states that every soul shall taste death (21:35).

Sitting behind the sign and fence is a bright yellow-coloured generator.  One wonders that if it had a tongue to speak, what it might state as admonition.

Perhaps, “Don’t forget!  When the light of life is turned off, He will bring them back on.  Surely, that is a promise from the All-Powerful”

May Allah grant us life, the life of the one He loves to live and may He grant us death, the death of the one He loves to meet.

We are all in a constant journey back to Allah. Even when we are still, we are actually moving towards Him.

May Allah allow us to always keep focused on Him and His Nabi (ﷺ).

May our gazes never swerve to what Shaytan the dunya or our lower-selves beckon us towards…

The choice of black and white was simply due to the film that I had in my camera.

But, the reality of this photo is not what’s in it, but what’s not in it. You don’t feel the quiet of the early summer morning, undisturbed by the roar of car engines or barking of dogs out for the morning walk… You don’t hear the chirping of the birds, the gentle rustle of the leaves, the golden rays of the sun that just crested the horizon to the left, flooding everything in warm light… You can’t really experience the ethereal beauty of the mist rising from the river… 

How sad it is to be a person who sees the world in terms of black and white.  They see only matter, zeros and ones, and at the same time, they are not able to see the Infinity that lies beyond.

May Allah grant us a heart’s film that captures the reality of what He wants us to see.

The real port in any calm – or storm – is with Allah ﷻ.

May we never never forget that the everlasting refuge of all is as-Samad (subhana).

How precious is the gift of “waking up” from a state of heedlessness!

Even in the pouring and drinking of some tea are signs for me.

May Allah surround us with teachers and signs that remind us to wake up to His ‘ubodiyah.