Service

The chief of a people is the one who serves them

- Saying of the Prophet pbuh from a book, Kitaab Adab Al Muridin

In that place shall rise the devil’s horn

Sayyiduna Amr ibn Abasa (Allah be pleased with him) relates that Uyayna ibn Hisn al-Fazari once remarked in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) that the best of men are ….the people of Najd. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied: “You have lied! Rather, the best of men are the people of Yemen. Belief/faith (iman) is Yemeni and I am also a Yemeni.” (Tabrani and Ahmad, with all the narrators in the chain authentic (thiqat). See: Majma’ al-Zawa’id, 10/44)

In this last Hadith, it was mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) that the people of Najd were the best of people, but the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) was quick to reject this notion saying that this was wrong; rather, the people of Yemen were the best amongst people. This Hadith reminds us of another narration recorded by Imam al-Bukhari and others wherein the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “O Allah! Give us Baraka in our Sham, O Allah! Give us Baraka in our Yemen.” They said: “And in our Najd?” and he said: “O Allah! Give us Baraka in our Sham, O Allah! Give us Baraka in our Yemen.” They said: “And in our Najd?” and I believe that he said on the third occasion: “In that place (najd) are earthquakes and seditions, and in that place shall rise the devil’s horn.” (See: Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 990)

http://thedowra.com/blessings.htm

More on Prayer

“The best prayer is one that springs from one’s sorrows.”
-Al Qushayri's Epistle on Tassawuf.

Delivered or delivered from!

And when a funeral procession once passed by him the Prophet, blessings and peace upon him, said: "Delivered or delivered from!" They asked: "O Messenger of God! What is delivered, and what is delivered from?" He replied: "God's believing bondsman is delivered from the hardship of the world and its harm into His mercy. As for a depraved person: people, town, trees and animals are delivered from him."
The Lives of Man by Imam Abdallah Ibn Alawi Al-Haddad

Contradictions and Love

From Charles Le Gai Eaton's interview:

Contradiction in human nature

"I remember a letter from a man who had read The Richest Vein and he wrote, “I’ve been trying to picture you, I think I can see you with flowing white hair and flowing white beard sitting on a mountain top in the Himalayas, meditating”! I was a very frivolous young man, as frivolous as can be. A Catholic priest came to Jamaica and on the plane had been reading The Richest Vein. He turned up at a party I was at. I was a little drunk, a girl sitting on my knee, and he stood there and looked down at me and said ‘you could not have written that book.’”
For Eaton, this was, “a very significant remark because I’ve never understood how the sort of person I was, could have written the sort of book I had written. But since then, this is a subject that has fascinated me all my life. This contradiction in human nature,” stresses Eaton, “is extraordinary, and almost inexplicable.”

All consuming Love

"Eaton reflects upon his all-consuming love for Flo. “People say one should remember God, always, but you think how can you, you’re busy doing this or that. But for ten months I woke up thinking of this girl, I thought of her right through the day, I went to sleep thinking of her, and if you can think of another person all the time, you can certainly think of God all the time and still get on with living a normal life.”

 He looks back on the years in Jamaica as “lost, wasted years. But on the other hand I am to some degree a fatalist and I feel I had to go through that.”

http://www.emel.com/article?id=78&a_id=1164&c=32

Ibn Ajiba on Spiritual Guides

A few years ago I had met a great scholar, a scholar of tasawuf and of the exterior sciences. What he said then regarding Spiritual Guides put me in a state of confusion, and which was cleared perhaps by faith alone. But that nagging never left me and I wanted an answer.

And as it has happened so many times before, my initial doubts, my questions regarding my own Master have all been cleared through many indirect means - Allahumdulliah. It is actually from the karamat of the awliya to teach without verbal communication, to impart good to the murids beyond space and time. It wasn't that I doubted my Spiritual Guide, but it was something I disagreed with at a very fundamental level.

The shaykh that I had met had claimed that one's Spiritual Guide must not only be a master of tasawwuf, but also knowledgeable in all sciences of Islam so as to be able to teach you without your having to seek another master. I could not bring myself to agree with his statement, but out of respect we discussed no more. Yet, immediately thereafter I thought of the greay awliya who were not students of Hadith etc but were nevertheless great masters of gnosis.

Just recently I came across this blog entry by Murid's log, where Ibn Ajiba explains what a Spiritual Guide is and isn't, and the knowledge they must be masters of. Also, he alludes to their method of teaching - a loving glance upon the student. The glance is in itself a topic discussed very well by Mystic Saint  (warning: music on page).

Following is Ibn Ajiba's view:

"What Sheikh Sharishi says about the necessity for spiritual guide (sheikh at-tarbiya) to be learned in both exoteric and esoteric sciences is correct. But as for the exoteric sciences, what is required is that he obtains the knowledge he requires for himself personally, and also that which his disciple will need as he travels the spiritual path – namely, the essential rulings concerning purification and prayer (at-tahara wa ‘s-salat), and the like; for many exoteric sciences have nothing to do with traversing the spiritual path to the King of Kings, such as the rulings of homicide cases, prescribed punishments, divorce, and manumission. Were things otherwise, many of the greatest and most renowned figures of the Way, paragons of virtue and true knowledge, would be thus demoted from their high ranks; for although many of them were well-versed in the Sacred Law, many others knew nothing of it save that which must necessarily be known by any Muslim. 

I say that if you recognise this, you will recognise the falseness of the claim some people make that the spiritual guide must be proficient in all the Islamic sciences, such that if all these sciences were to disappear he alone would be able to revive them. How could this be, when many of those who were undisputed spiritual guides were unschooled?

In ‘Awarif al-Ma‘arif Suhrawardi quotes Bayazid al-Bistami as saying: ‘I kept the company of Abu Ali al-Masnadi, and I would teach him what he needed to fulfil his religious obligations, whilst he taught me pure tawhid and metaphysics.’

And it is well-known that Sheikh Ibn ‘Abbad (ar-Rundi) received his spiritual awakening at the hands of an unschooled man, as did Ghazzali. It is also known that Ghazwani was not well-versed in the exoteric sciences, and if anyone asked him a question concerning them, he would sent the questioner to his disciple al-Hibti.

Likewise, the guide of our guides, our master Abd ar-Rahman Majdhub, did not have knowledge of the exoteric sciences; and many of the greatest saints were unschooled – yet they were deeply steeped in the secrets of sainthood.

As for esoteric knowledge, the spiritual guide must be completely immersed in them, since the whole purpose of the spiritual guide (the ‘sheikh’ as the Folk call him) is to impart this knowledge, and the disciple only seeks the guide so that he might lead him along the spiritual path and teach him knowledge of the Way (tariqa) and the Supreme Truth (haqiqa). Therefore he must have perfect knowledge of God, His Attributes and Names and how they are manifested, and their meanings and details, and their benefits, wisdoms and secrets; and he must have perfect knowledge of the obstacles which lie on the spiritual path, and the ruses which the soul and Satan employ, and the different forms which spiritual experiences take, and the way in which spiritual stations are truly ascertained. And he must know all of this by direct taste and experience, so that if he is asked about the obstacles on the path and the way to avoid them, he is able to answer properly. And in addition to this, he must have the power and resolve to overcome all obstacles and go beyond all ties, both open and secret; and he must have a piercing insight by which he can ascertain the suitability and readiness of those who seek his guidance, so that he may deal with each one according to his particular status, and guide him to the shortest path to reach his Lord. This was said by al-Fassi.

As-Sahili said: ‘One of the necessary conditions of the spiritual guide is that he have enough knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah to fulfil his obligations as prescribed by the Sacred Law, and to guide him in his everyday affairs; and if this is complemented by the esoteric wisdom which God has bestowed upon him, he will thereby possess a light which will guide him amongst men, and lead him to a deep understanding of what the Quran and Sunnah say.’

And Abu ‘l-Hasan ash-Shadhili said: ‘Every spiritual guide from whom you do not receive graces from behind the veil, is not a true guide.’ Perhaps he means that the true spiritual guide gives aid to his disciple even when he is physically far from him. He also said: ‘By God, I can bring a man to God in a single breath.’ And Sheikh Abu Abbas (al-Mursi) said: ‘By God, nothing may occur between me and a man save that I look upon him, and thereby give him all the benefit he needs.’

And I say that we have personally met – praise be to God! – even in our time, men who give abundant benefit with a single glance; and we have kept their company and recognised that they are truly inheritors of Shadhili and Mursi – God be pleased with them all, and grant us to follow in their footsteps – Amen!

From al-Futuhat al-Ilahiyya fi sharh al-Mabahith al-Asliyya.

Translator’s addendum

Mere days he needs, not years and years

To keep our company;

And if he gains the goal he seeks,

God’s servant shall he be!

-Sheikh Ahmad al-Alawi."

Doctors and Engineer's Islam

While perusing the Traditional Studies forum - a perennial philosophy forum, a philosophy I do not adhere to, but find some good in, I came across William Chittick's interview. He says discussing immigrants to the west:

"Very few immigrants come with the combination of traditional and modern education that is needed to speak intelligently in the West about religion generally and Islam specifically. They may be good doctors or engineers, but they do not know “religion” in the full sense of islam, iman, and ihsan. And if they do know it, they do not speak the same language as the doctors and the engineers. It is significant here that politicized Islam—so-called “fundamentalism”—is largely led by doctors and engineers, who are ignorant of anything but a smattering of Islam’s first dimension (law, practice), and who see religion as something like a grid that can be imposed on society, an engineering problem to be solved."

Musings on birth and religion

Hindu belief of reincarnation presumes that individuals are born Hindu if in their previous lives they were morally upright.
One cannot convert to Hinduism and be a Hindu - you may chose to follow the Hindu religion, which is separate from being born into it.

Similarly, in the Judaic conception of the world, you are either born/chosen or not chosen to be a Jew. Similar to Hinduism - one cannot become a Jew unless one is born a Jew.

Contrary to the aforementioned, Christianity does not suppose any  by birth. Rather, it considers all of humanity to be sinful due to no fault of the individual.

Islamic belief is a bit similar to Judaic and Hindu belief; however, Islam applies greatness and nobility to all of humanity - all our born pure and free of guilt - humanity is chosen over all creation to be the vicegerent of God. Islamic teaching is that man's primordial nature is that of a perfect vicegerent of God, and it is only the individuals upbringing, surrounding, etc that leads him/her to follow a particular religion.

Why sell yourself at a low price
Being  so precious in God's eyes?

paraphrased from memory Rumi's words.

- Khaadim

Truth, Revealed Religions from Islamic Orthodoxy's view

Question

Is it possible that God does not merely save followers of other previously valid religions besides Islam out of a divine amnesty, but for the truth that exists in previous religions, including those such as Native American religions, and others?

Response:
http://shadhilitariqa.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=20

The few, the proud, the Pathans ... beware Sayyids :)

"Such a power is, naturally, greatest in the case of the saintly people, and therefore it is small wonder that almost every place in the Muslim world contains a tomb or a mausoleum. Sir Thomas Arnold has told the famous story about the poor Pathans who smarted under the sad fact that they had no tomb in their village; thus they invited a passing sayyid to stay with them, regaled him and ‘made sure of his staying in the village by cutting his throat’, so that they could erect a beautiful mausoleum for him in order to enjoy the blessings that radiated from his last resting place,^36"


Deciphering the Signs of God: A Phenomenological Approach to Islam 1991–1992

Prudence, Courage, Temperance, Justice

Q: Patience is a beautiful virtue … the cry of Prophet Yaqub …. “fa sabran jamil.” Patience, it appears, is not an isolated virtue but rather it is connected to a network of virtues. Should Muslims focus on this virtue at the expense of the other virtues? 


A: The traditional virtues of a human being were four and Qadi Ibn Al-Arabi considered them to be the foundational virtues or the ummahatul fadaa’il of all of humanity. They are: prudence, courage, temperance, and justice. 


Prudence, or rather practical wisdom, and courage, are defining qualities of the Prophet. He, peace be upon him, said that God loves courage even in the killing of a harmful snake. 


Temperance is the ability to control oneself. Incontinence, the hallmark of intemperance, is said to occur when a person is unable to control himself. In modern medicine it is used for someone who can’t control his urine or feces. But not so long ago the word incontinence meant a person who was unable to control his temper, appetite or sexual desire. Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates one’s appetite in accordance with prudence. In early Muslim scholarship on Islamic ethics, justice was considered impossible without the virtues of prudence, courage and temperance. 


Generosity as a virtue is derived from courage because a generous person is required to be courageous in the face of poverty. Similarly, humility is a derivative from temperance because the humble person will often restrain the urge to brag and be a show-off because he or she sees their talents and achievements as a gift from Allah and not from themselves. Patience as a virtue is attached to the virtue of courage because the patient person has the courage to endure difficulties. So “hilim” (from which you get “halim”), often translated as for-bearance or meekness if you wish, is frowned upon in our society. Yet it is the virtue we require to stem the powerful emotion of anger. Unrestrained anger often leads to rage and rage can lead to violence in its various shades. 


Our predecessors were known for having an incredible degree of patience while an increasing number of us are marked with an extreme degree of anger, resentment, hate, rancor and rage. These are negative emotions which present themselves as roadblocks to living a virtuous life. 


A patient human being will endure tribulations, trials, difficulties, hardships, if confronted with them. The patient person will not be depressed or distraught and whatever confronts him will certainly not lead to a loss of comportment. 


Allah says in the Qur’an: “Isbiru.” “Have patience and enjoin each other to patience.” 


The beauty of patience is that “innallaha ma’assabirin” Allah is with the patient ones. If God is on your side you will always be victorious. Allah says in the Qur’an “Ista”inu bi-sabiri was-salat.”” Isti”aana is a reflexive of the Arabic verb “aana” which is “to help oneself.” Allah is telling us to help ourselves with patience and prayer. 


This is amazing because the Prophet, peace be upon him, said “if you take help, take help from God alone.” And so in the Qur’an, Allah says: “ista inu hi-sabiri was-salaat”. This means taking help from patience and prayer because that is the means by which Allah has given you to take help from Him alone. 


How is it then that a person sees himself as a victim when all calamities, difficulties and trials, are ultimately tests from Allah. This does nor mean the world is free of aggression and that victims have suddenly vanished. What I”m talking about is a person”s psychology in dealing with hardships. 


The sacred law has two perspectives when looking at acts of aggression that are committed by one party against another. When it is viewed by those in authority the imperative is to seek justice. However, from the perspective of the wronged, it is not to seek justice bur instead to forgive. 


Forgiveness, “afwa”, pardon, is nor a quality of authority. A court is not set up to forgive. It’s the plaintiff that’s required to forgive if there is going to be any forgiveness at all. Forgiveness will not come from the Qadi or the judge. The court is set up to give justice but Islam cautions us not to go there in the first place because “by the standard which you judge so too shall you be judged.” That’s the point. If you want justice, if you want God, the Supreme Judge of all affairs, to be just to others on your behalf, then you should know that your Lord will use the same standard with you. 


Nobody on the “Day of Arafat” will pray: “Oh God, be just with me.” Instead you will hear them crying: “O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, have compassion on me, overlook my wrongs.” Yet, these same people are not willing to forgive, have compassion and mercy on other creatures of God. 


Q: Imam Al-Ghazali argued that for these virtues to be effective they had to be in harmony. Otherwise, they said, virtues would quickly degenerate into vices. Do you think that these virtues exist today among Muslims but that they are out of balance? For example, the Arabs in the time of the Prophet had courage, but without justice it was bravado. Prudence without justice is merely shrewdness. Do you think that Muslims are clamoring for justice but have subsumed the virtues of temperance and prudence? 


A: Yes. Muslims want courage and justice but they don’t want temperance and prudence. The four virtues relate to the four humors in the body. Physical sickness is related to spiritual sickness and when these four are out of balance, spiritual and moral sickness occurs. So when courage is the sole virtue, you no longer have prudence. You are acting courageously but imprudently and it’s no longer courage but impetuousness. It appears as courage but it is not. A person who is morally incapable of controlling his appetite has incontinence and thus he cannot be prudent nor courageous because part of courage is to constrain oneself when it is appropriate. Imam A1-Ghazali says that courage is a mean between impetuousness and cowardice. 


The interesting point to note about the four virtues is that you either take them all or you don’t take them at all. It’s a packaged deal. There is a strong argument among moral ethicists that justice is the result of the first three being in perfect balance. 


http://www.zaytuna.org/articleDetails.asp?articleID=113

Destinations hail sincere seekers after Truth at the very outset

To soothe the sincere pain of distance and longing of some, read Wasif Ali Wasif:

"The search for Truth, for the Truth conscious, for the men of heart, for the Imam of the age, or for the intimate of mysteries, involves no geographical journey. There is a great difference between the voyages of Sindbad and the travels of the seeker after Truth. The ego should attain to a state of self-realization before it embarks on its journey toward Truth. The clearer the mirror of the heart, the easier for it to receive the flashes of Truth. Approach to Allah is though prostration, with your brow brought  low. Prostration is here below and connection on High. Divine blessings on the Prophet (SAW) are invoked here and accepted there. The first thing therefore is self-reformation, enabling yourself to know what the radiance of Truth really means. Abu Jahl sees the prophet (SAW) but cannot have access to him (SAW), whereas Uawys of Qaran has access to him (SAW) although he has never been near him (SAW) physically. Destinations hail sincere seekers after Truth at the very outset."

The people of God, which is I, and which is you.

We shall see,
For certain we shall see,
the day that has been promised us,
on the tablet of eternity.

When these high mountains
of tyranny
will drift away like wisps of cotton.

And beneath our feet, the feet of the oppressed,
the earth will tremble.
Lightning crack above the heads of kings,
And thunder roar.
Yes, we will see that day.

When from the abode of God (Kab'a),
false idols will be driven out,
And we, the pure of heart,
long forbidden from the sacred place -
We, yes, we will be seated on those high cushions.
All thrones overturned.
Crowns trampled underfoot.

Remaining only the Name of God,
That which is absent, but present too,
That which is the spectacle, and also the beholder.
Then will rise the cry - I am the Truth (ana al haq)
That which is I,
And which is you.

And then will reign
The people of God,
Which is I,
And which is you.

Yes we shall see,
For certain we shall see,
We shall see.


By Faiz Ahmed Faiz (translation found here)


Faiz wrote this ghazal, which was later sung by Iqbal Bano under the regime of Zia ul Haq. This was a time when Faiz Ahmed Faiz was banned and imprisoned for criticizing the dictatorship, and also for his marxist/communist beliefs. Iqbal Bano showed courage in singing his verses; thus, indirectly attacking the dictatorship.
It has been said that Faiz Ahmed Faiz was not an atheist. See this: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/faiz-was-neither-an-atheist-nor-a-traitor-agha-nasir


Listen to Iqbal Bano.

Wasif Ali Wasif on Contentment, Self Pity

I came across this individual, Wasif Ali Wasif, on Chaiwala's blog.

Taken from: http://wasifaliwasif.org/waw/

"To sorrow over your lot, to have sympathy for yourself, to prove yourself pitiable among people, is no man with more that he can bear. Ailing and feeble spirits always complain whereas healthy souls give thanks. To criticize life is to criticize the Creator, and such criticism deprives on of faith."

"I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself"
D.H. Lawrence

"Oh God, how could that be. Such a powerful Chinaman!"

"Another time, the mosque in Qinzhou had two long, beautifully carved doors that were antiques from the Ming dynasty. The story engraved on the doors described the early Moslems' life. For generations, the Moslems cherished and cared for the doors. The Germans heard about the antique doors and were greedy for the cultural treasure. They came and unctuously offered to buy the doors. To avoid a conflict, the priest asked for 16,250 pounds of pure silver. "That's too much," said the Germans. "We will pay you half." That worried the priest because he did not want to be the Moslem who would sell the nation's treasure. He called a meeting in the mosque. Wang Ziping suggested to the rest, "We shall all stay in the mosque and guard it. The Germans can't take the doors from that many of us."

Hearing this, the Germans planned strategies too. They thought that if they could get rid of, or embarrass, Wang Ziping they might have a chance to take the doors. The conflict ended with another weight-lifting challenge. The Germans wheeled in two 250-pound stone weights connected by a thick bamboo bar. "We heard you practice kungfu in this mosque, and the 'Qianjin Wang' is a usual visitor," the Germans said to the priest and the crowd. We specially brought these weights that no one has been able to lift for eighty years. We want to ask Wang Ziping to lift them. Everyone knew what was going on and held their breath for Wang Ziping. Heavy weights on a bare bamboo bar without fixtures would slide, creating difficulty or accident. Wang Ziping recognized the German's trick as they taunted him.

Wang Ziping could not wait any longer and stated, "Chinese kungfu is rich and varied. Foreigner, don't you taunt us." The crowd shouted, "Good, show them your power!" By then, it was a fight for the nation's pride. Wang Ziping bowed to the crowd, flipped away and intentionally landed on his back right in front of the weights. Then he extended his arms over his head, two large hands grabbed the bamboo bar and quickly pulled up the stones. People cheered. He bent his arms, then tossed the weights away from him. Suddenly, he threw up his legs and caught the weights with his feet. He gestured, and six young men came out. One lay down across the bar, facing away from Wang Ziping and supported by the weights and Wang Ziping' hands. Three more young men then got on top of him and on top of each other. Two more then stood on the bamboo bar. They modeled Stone Luohan (stone Budda) and Phoenix Emerging Its Wings. To the sound of long-lasting applause, the Germans nodded and disappeared. The doors were saved."

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=84

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Zi-Ping

http://higher-criticism.com/2005/12/wang-ziping-muslim-patriot-in-china.html

Mighty Majesty

Dawn to dusk I read Frost, Baudelaire
Longfellow among others. Enjoyed verses,
Written with rhyme, meter, depth, and care;
Then came time to put them on a hearse.


Salut! Distinguished poets. Go your way.
I come home full circle, I find new life;
I jolted from deep slumber have fell prey
To words that cut sharp my heart like a knife.


"The hour draws nigh and the moon is rent asunder"
Sung inhuman voice; words of such majesty.
Weighty words break my back and I ponder
the Author of this creative beauty.


Verses of love bore by the beloved;
Messenger of love carefully delivered.


-Khaadim


If interested in ghazal's, read this article, where I came across 54:1 of the Quran: "The hour draws nigh and the moon is rent asunder". 

Translation by Muhammad Asad:

"The Last Hour draws near, and the moon is split asunder!

But if they were to see a sign, they would turn aside and say, "An ever recurring delusion!"

Many translations exist, but none can ever do justice to Al Quran. As they often say, the Quran is "un-translatable". For a variety of translations visit Al-Tafsir.com.

Islamist

Allah is our Lord

Muhammad is our Leader

The Koran is our Constitution

Jihad is our Way

Martyrdom is our Desire

The above was sticker Ed Husain had in his early days of  "radicalism". His father once saw this sticker and broke down in tears. He said, "My son, the Prophet was not leader, he is our master, the source of our spiritual nourishment. Leaders are for political movements, which Islam is not. The Koran is his articulation, as inspired by God, not a political document. It is not a constitution, but guidance and serenity for the believers heart. Jihad is a just war against tyranny and oppresion, fought by the Prophet after persecution, not a way. Why do these people call for martyrdom when their sons are in the best universities across the West?"

"Beware of extremism in religion; for it was extremism in religion that destroyed those who went before you"

A Hadith quoted in the Islamist by Ed Husain.

Moon sighting, confusion, when is Eid?

To sight, or not to sight: that is the confusion:
Whether tis nobler in the mind to calculate or suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous Ulema,
Or to take arms against the accusations
And by opposing end them? To sight; to globally sight;
No more; and by a pact let us end this
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time
if we were not to end this madness?


- Original Shakespeare . 


It is that time of the year when we have
two Eids in two masjids facing each other
on the same street, yet opposing in decision.
It never ends because they cannot agree
so that we may meet, greet, and eat the same day.


- Khaadim

Curator of the Holy Cities

Dr. Sami Angawi is the closest thing to a curator of the two holy cities and this appears to be his blog:

http://amarinternational.blogspot.com/

If it weren't for him, we would'nt have heard of or seen the excavation of Syeda Khadeeja's house.

Many treasures lie buried in Hijaz.

Food for thought ...

"Protect yourself form the misfortunes of corrupt imaginings that distract you from rememberance. Be careful of your diet. It is better if your food be nourishing but devoid of animal fat. Beware of satiation and excessive hunger. Keep your constitution in balance ... "

- Ibn Arabi

"The seeker after truth should eat bread that is earned honestly by lawful means. He should eat just enough to help him to sustain himself and discharge his duties both towards his fellowmen and towards God. But he should never gratify himself to the maximum. The food must be simple."

- Muhammad al-Ghazzali

"The temptation of Adam was in eating, and this is also your temptation until the day of resurrection."

- Hasan of Basra

http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/