5:29 pm
We are off and I reek of Blue Jeans. Clad in what is the classic pakistani garb, I sit beside no one. It is hot but the A/C is on. I am quite but the cassette playing is loud. I don't agree with the speaker but he articulates gracefully. So I look outside and stare at my land. It is Canada Day.
6:00 pm
I read.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani on seclusion:
How admirable is the statement of al-Junayd, may Allah grant us benefit through his baraka: 'The endurance of seclusion is easier than forced politeness with company.'
Al-Khathabi said: 'There would be great good in seclusion even were it to bring nothing more than safety from backbiting and seeing evils which one cannot control'
2:30 am
As we pass a place called St. Lazare Vaudreuil surrounded by five men who have had, in their lives, an exponentially larger amount of sex than me, I suddenly realize just how much I enjoy going to ijtemahs. (It's technically an 'old workers johr' but that's irrelevant here.) The feeling of harmonious comfort and continuos serenity that I feel at these is something that can be rivaled only by the feeling of standing in the pristine presence of the Ka'bah itself. We have 30 minutes to go.
3:31 am
We arrive early (relatively) and must spend the night at Madni Masjid. We enter to a large building with, seemingly, a million souls sleeping on the floor. One of them greets us and we make wudu for there is time left in tahajjud. We fajr it up and listen to the arab man speak. Speaks he does with razor sharp accuracy leaving the jamatis ready for the first day.
9:30 am
Breakfast. Mangoes, cheese and honey. We're off to Cure Labelle to join the crowds.
10:30 am
We are first to arrive at the makeshift ijtemah venue, formerly a soccer turf. We lay our 'bistrahs' on the floor and await jum'ah. It is again in arabic and only the local montrealers (a good amount of them arab) can digest. The ajam listen attentively anyway.
Saturday
More people and Shaykh Ahmad Lat speaks. His voice is calculated and it is clearly apparent that he speaks as if he has spoken to thousands before. Nevertheless, he speaks with force, placing the world into a neatly organized flowchart. He does it with brutal accuracy and convinces the crowd quickly.
He continues and I realize this is very nice. He takes us on board the rail to an intensely spiritual place. He is projecting blows that hit the heart like spears. It's good though, it does a good job of oxidizng the rust on me.
He continues displaying brilliant logic. I can't take notes anymore. I have to close my pad, this beauty must be fully absorbed with minimum distractions.
Sunday
More of the same, and I am feeling better. I get 2 hours of sleep yet no bags. Departure time is 12:00 pm. I have to reach a wedding. Ibrahim bhai says we can make it. I'm lucky I have nice clothes on me.
8:00 pm
We are nowhere near Scarborough and its raining hard with traffic tidal waving us at a speed of 2 km/h. We're not going to reach. I suppose I'll have to send Azhar a card.
12:00 pm
We arrive home and only baba is awake. Oddly, he looks interested in the books and topis we purchased. I sleep quickly and with wudu. I liked this trip.
The Good: Montreal Ijtemah 2004
The Bad: Anwar offending the store clerk by calling her monsieur.
The Ugly: The store clerk calling anwar mademoiselle in retaliation.
Currently addicted to: My own melancholy feeling :-(
We are off and I reek of Blue Jeans. Clad in what is the classic pakistani garb, I sit beside no one. It is hot but the A/C is on. I am quite but the cassette playing is loud. I don't agree with the speaker but he articulates gracefully. So I look outside and stare at my land. It is Canada Day.
6:00 pm
I read.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani on seclusion:
How admirable is the statement of al-Junayd, may Allah grant us benefit through his baraka: 'The endurance of seclusion is easier than forced politeness with company.'
Al-Khathabi said: 'There would be great good in seclusion even were it to bring nothing more than safety from backbiting and seeing evils which one cannot control'
2:30 am
As we pass a place called St. Lazare Vaudreuil surrounded by five men who have had, in their lives, an exponentially larger amount of sex than me, I suddenly realize just how much I enjoy going to ijtemahs. (It's technically an 'old workers johr' but that's irrelevant here.) The feeling of harmonious comfort and continuos serenity that I feel at these is something that can be rivaled only by the feeling of standing in the pristine presence of the Ka'bah itself. We have 30 minutes to go.
3:31 am
We arrive early (relatively) and must spend the night at Madni Masjid. We enter to a large building with, seemingly, a million souls sleeping on the floor. One of them greets us and we make wudu for there is time left in tahajjud. We fajr it up and listen to the arab man speak. Speaks he does with razor sharp accuracy leaving the jamatis ready for the first day.
9:30 am
Breakfast. Mangoes, cheese and honey. We're off to Cure Labelle to join the crowds.
10:30 am
We are first to arrive at the makeshift ijtemah venue, formerly a soccer turf. We lay our 'bistrahs' on the floor and await jum'ah. It is again in arabic and only the local montrealers (a good amount of them arab) can digest. The ajam listen attentively anyway.
Saturday
More people and Shaykh Ahmad Lat speaks. His voice is calculated and it is clearly apparent that he speaks as if he has spoken to thousands before. Nevertheless, he speaks with force, placing the world into a neatly organized flowchart. He does it with brutal accuracy and convinces the crowd quickly.
He continues and I realize this is very nice. He takes us on board the rail to an intensely spiritual place. He is projecting blows that hit the heart like spears. It's good though, it does a good job of oxidizng the rust on me.
He continues displaying brilliant logic. I can't take notes anymore. I have to close my pad, this beauty must be fully absorbed with minimum distractions.
'All of you here! Some of you are taxi drivers, some painters, some of you on welfare. Take these Americans and hold them tight to your hearts! Connect yours with theirs only for the pleasure of your lord and his rasool! You are the mujahireen and they are the ansar. I swear to Allah! I swear to Alah! I swear to Allah! he will catalyze this continent to the rest of the universe like His Almighty did to Madinah. For Allah's qudrah is absolutely unbound.'
Sunday
More of the same, and I am feeling better. I get 2 hours of sleep yet no bags. Departure time is 12:00 pm. I have to reach a wedding. Ibrahim bhai says we can make it. I'm lucky I have nice clothes on me.
8:00 pm
We are nowhere near Scarborough and its raining hard with traffic tidal waving us at a speed of 2 km/h. We're not going to reach. I suppose I'll have to send Azhar a card.
12:00 pm
We arrive home and only baba is awake. Oddly, he looks interested in the books and topis we purchased. I sleep quickly and with wudu. I liked this trip.
The Good: Montreal Ijtemah 2004
The Bad: Anwar offending the store clerk by calling her monsieur.
The Ugly: The store clerk calling anwar mademoiselle in retaliation.
Currently addicted to: My own melancholy feeling :-(
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