Salaams to you all, It has been sometime! Time has elapsed and indeed a feeling of postmodernism leaves us all gasping for more energy (at least that is how I am feeling—perhaps I am getting on) but to no avail. Such panting and wheezing is the actuality that makes some of us the real US. Am I loosing you or you are perhaps with me here my fellow reader? Consider this (uuh, I am with great effort trying to employ an analogy most of the dwellers of this forum may relate to us—hey MUJAHID don’t send me to COVENTRY because of this) a house party. The party is organised by a Somali chap and his invitees come with somewhat dilapidated attires; upon seeing this my dear host becomes livid!. Why is the question one needs to ask? is my fellow host being out of touch with reality--- I am sure I will be falling with a lot of people here with such unbecoming example and the brush with I am using with no specific regard! but hey!!. Indeed, a fellow should know his fellow; that is the whole essence of being a fellow. Or perhaps this fellow after a conscientious training of becoming alamode he requires certain antiquate from his star-crossed fellows—as far as clothing is concerned-~? Now my dear boy entrepreneur; it is good to feel such irritation but to air it in this manner is to overlook the forum writers pervading culture. I for one have enormous amount of views but to air them would be nothing short of trying to walk on water. My dear boy, as Maskiin Macruuf said; it is wise to leave those guys alone in their Newtonian inertia. A good departed friend (Alaha unaxariisto) once said to me “The more I get to know my fellow Somalis the less I expect from them’ not far from the truth I say. Sophist

love is an illusion

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perhap not

I will go for the phsicality thing as intelligence is chimera.

Can't Remember! inaccesibl? To whom one might ask my fllow?

My much-loved and favourite books of all times are below. English Novel: James Joyce’s Ulysses. This is book is deemed to be Joyce’s furthermost attainment. It transports together journalistic writing, drama, questionnaire anecdotes, , bawdy episodes, stream of consciousness writing, archaisms, neologisms and – astoundingly more. Due to the lack in possession of all of human knowledge, it will allow you to find oneself in bloom and his companions rather than a century’s worth of critics and scholars. It is ravishing to read though you would need a fat dictionary beside you. Philosophy: Tahaafutul Falaasifa and English –The incoherence of the Philosophers- This book is a masterpiece. It had a consequential impact on philosophy in general and Islamic Philosophy in particular. If you read the philosophical works of Descartes, you would see that all his ideas stems from Al-Ghazalli. Al-Ghazali, refuted many of the atheist philosophical ideas utilizing what the mainstream philosophers understood well. Critiques of Pure reason: Immanuel Kant This book is must read for any one who wants to engage reason in his arguments. Kant, is one of the most concrete western philosophers in his time. In this book Kant examines in detail the problems about metaphysics, transcendental philosophy and all the other problems that Hume argued in his books in regards to reason. The Critique has no other goal than to sort out the possibility of synthetic a priori cognitions. Its raison d'être consists in establishing the credibility of some form of rational metaphysics. Kant writes very specifically in the Introduction: "It is upon this inquiry, which should be entitled not a doctrine, but only a transcendental critique, that we are now engaged. Its purpose is not to extend knowledge, but only to correct it and to supply a touchstone of the value, or lack of value………. This book is good for mental exercise, I would recommend any person who has a sound knowledge in Islamic creed “ this is because it deals very sophisticated issues that the reader my find extremely irrational to understand in regard to Islamic reason”. Novels: Fayador Dostoyevsky’s Novels Brothers of Karazov, the culmination of Dostoyesky’s work. A story of parricide and fraternal jealousy profoundly involves the questions of anarchism, atheism and all the metaphysical issues. Deamons White Nights- short love story, the second best ever written about a dreamer in St Peterberg. Nuradin Farah’s Secrets The richly lustrous words that gleam out of its pages, the intensity of the subject it is dealing with not to mention bringing life to the characters leaves you gasping for more of its beauty. It portrays Somalia as country troubled with Secrets. He does this by reducing to whole country as one family dealing with secrets that will eventually be the cause of their destruction The Wretched of the Earth. By Frantz Fannon. I assume most of you know who this man is, this book is what inspired many revolutionary people all over the world, his is uncompromising and his truth hits you straight in the heart. He is a writer that writes about the African Liberation Movement, talks about the Colonizers and talks to the colonized, I love this one. Black Skin White Masks. By Frantz Fannon. This one deals with the affects of race in relationships, and how people view them selves. The complexity of race and why black people look up to the Whites as the title suggests. If you guys are going to read any of the above, then I urge you to consider Fanon and Farah Dostoyevsky. Respectfully, Sophist

Reading invigorates, vexes and stimulates the mind depending what sort of book you are feasting your eyes upon. In this thread, let us present the books we have enjoyed tremendously, those made our mind ache with sheepishness and those which changed our out look in life. We all know that the Holly Quran is the best book but the books I am referring to here are not holly but mere the amalgamation of mere mortal’s thoughts so please hold your horses. Don’t just mention the name, do tell why you feel the why you feel about this particular book which either vexed you, stimulated, or even influenced you extremely. Your input is awaited. Respectfully, Sophist

?

Jamaal11, I can lend you the ENglish trans Leils and the Majnun (kheys). SOphist

Jaaluut, walaahi waxaa tahay Askari caadi ah! waxaan meelahaas soo fiiriyey early 90's nooh, walaahi waxaan ku qaatey wakhti fiican. Geedka seyta leh fardaha jooga ee Suunaariga ah ma kortey? Sophist

Salams Libaax, i was on the joke trip myself. how have you been? send me a private msg.

Salaams, Uuh and there we are another brother who misconstrues what I have written. These days it had indeed become something of habitual mantra;; uh I don’t understand what you have written and so forth. Walaalkiis, if you need any particular elucidation on particular line or paragraph then I would certainly be obliged but if you want me to rewrite the whole thing then brother as much as I like to see my words being written (here I am making a joke on myself) I have neither the time or the energy. Moses, malaha waxaa fiicnaan laheyd inaan Somali arinkaan ku qoro. Laakiin, taas waxey keeni laheyd dadka aan ugu talagelay oo ah dhalinta iyo barbaarta soomaliyeed ee caalamka geesihiisa kala joogta oo qaarkood soamaaliga aan nasiib uyeelan iney bartaan akhrintiisa inaaney fahmin. Barbaartu waxay ubaahan tahay in loo iftiimiyo mas’alooyinka soo fuudsaaraya noloshooda. Calaa kuli xaal, mahadsanif inaad isku deydid inaad akhridid oo aad fahamtid maqaalkan aan kobtan ku qorey duqa. Thus Spake the Old Nomad Sophist

I thought I should brought the topic back.

uuh thus spake the Old sage (what a grand name you have picked yourself). Segacity is something that is as elusive as the next thing in the menu of sense-data my fellow. To mesmerise us with poeticly mystic words with the sound effects that are fleeting (my favourite word) shall never beguile us into a valley of vernisience! I am sure that will never be your attention, then again with name like that one much not make any presupposition in regards to you my Rumi-fied friend. Enjoy the wine and the cup will vanish before your eyes. Thus Spake Zarathustra (since we are in the mood of changing our nicks)!.

That was nice, thanks all.

Barwaaqo Macaantey we shall see that insha Allah. Jamal, we shall have this discussion in person perhaps in a fortnight. Kheyr: Walaal saas maaha. Thus Spake The Old Nomad Sophist

Salaams To you all, On the outset of this argument, let me say that I am all for critical disparagement provided one is not utilising fetid language. You can denigrate my ideas as long as you can disprove it either by Islamic principles or simply by the principles of logic. But to dwell upon my style of writing demonstrates harebrained character you are. In order to enjoy a courteous discourse we shall all strip off the pictures we had formed in our minds of each other—granted some of them would be difficult to dismantle. Hey I am JUST A HUMAN (as my friend kept saying yesterday evening). Hibo, My sister your absence has been felt and it left many of us dwelling into the imprints you had made in our thoughts. Your come back has shown the overture of what lies deep inside you; to expose and be an example to a subject that had shown to be controversial is nothing short of a great valour. Alas, now I shall gallantly defend my case. Happiness is the offshoot of love (the euphoric state of love produces happiness, or so they say.). For me the idea of happiness is a matter of religious quintessence. The chaps you have mentioned who have all the earthly goods any superficial being would want are not happy! The question arises why is that the case?. The most compelling argument I have heard that for the time being I give credence to is that they lack an inner shine; enlightened soul that have a rope in heaven. Without this rope when becomes painfully aware they the void within us. That is why because of this void people look for other worldly things; be that as a form of Eros love, power or what have you. But to view happiness subjectively shows my dear sister that you haven’t ventured from the educational books you have been given at the college you attend. Please for our sake read not only the academic books which we are all painfully subjected to; expose yourself the delights of ancient theories of life then we can all learn from your lucid interpretation of life—I hope you don’t take this in the wrong way. On Love? What I refute is the intransience of love and that the idea of love being independent from our psyche. This does not mean love does not exist in our minds but it means it is merely a creation of our minds. How do we do this (refer to what I have written above). The fact that one had experienced “love” gives an authority is just another tosh. How can I accept such a premise when I am disagreeing the whole notion they build their expertise on. You have said that you can feel love; sure you can. But where does this feeling comes from is the question I am interested in! Hate does exist but it does not exist autonomously from our emotions. We greatly loathe certain individuals for whatever reason; you can feel your blood curl inside whenever you hear their names; but what does this mean? These are the products of our curious minds. Hibo, I am not doubting that you have “experienced love”, but the conceptualisation of love is what I am arguing from. The feeling that without your beloved your existence ceases. The extreme sensation that runs through your deep veins whenever you gaze up you beloved and all the other paraphernalia that comes with this is something I acknowledge wholeheartedly. But if you carefully read what I have written up there then it becomes clear that I am not negating what you had felt but indeed I am against the intransience of “love” and its independence from our minds. I hope that cleared some issues. Welcome back Walaashiis. Thus Spake The Old Nomad Sophist

Salamu Alaikum Warahma "Ninba Ceesaantii ceel geey" Kheyr- Akhii to assume that that I seek briliance out of sounding aloof and obscure itself is lack of comprehension of what I am about!. I write in a fashion that suits my taste, if you have difficulty understanding me then I must say I am sorry to leave you behind. I have written something I give credence and I welcome any intelectual challenge either based on Islam or merely the principles of logic; either way I shall take great please reading our thoughts. What I don't like is a merely people trying to quote what the half understand! that is not something I enjoy reading and responding to. One correction: the Hadith you have quaoted is not a Hadith but merely an Athar (I trust you know the difference between an Athar and Hadith). It was said by Abdulahi Ibnu Mascuud who was a sahabi Jalil Radiyalahu Canu; in Arabic "Inalaaha Jamilu Yuhibu Jamala". Taqwa I am all for religion and when I said I am not religious what I meant was I have no deep knowledge of our Deen. About the Sufism, as long as it is Safwatul Qalb then I am all for it. But if it does contain elements of houwaho then I have nothing to do with it. Others: Thanks for your contribution and keep it coming. Thus Spake the Old Nomad Sophist

Ameenah, Love had become the mantra of the modern times, but surprisingly still many fail to conceptualise it, this is why it becomes something malignant in many people’s life. Thus one is duty-bound to shed light issues that affect many people globally- and it is permeating into our somali community in the West. Many youngsters pursue this shoddy happoiness with disastrous results; thus I feel compelled as Somali who had thought about these issues deeply to warn my fellow human beings. The dangers this notion holds, the deep waters it invites its swimmer the poison that it gives for her thirty seekers those who want to quench thier thirst but fataly fall with something profound than a mere thirst. Anyhow, I really want people to make me proof wrong for this spells away anything that are jolly in our prosaic life---but the alternative is lucid and practicable to adaptation of reality. Anyhow, I my pen is running out of ink. Thus Spake the Old Nomad Sophist

Salaams He was shocked and said, this is dangerous, please don’t air this sort of thing in public other wise you will reap what you will sow. Astonished with his diabolical representation of the subject matter. My response was that; if I have a conviction of what I say being true then I am doing great favour to my fellow brothers and sisters in Humanity- I owe to them. Obviously, my friend’s theological upbringing is different to mine, though we sail on the same waters in many issues. What my friend referring to was my understanding of concept of love of which I said it does not exist independently from our minds. I retain such notion and I will defend it till I drop with no energy. The more I talk about it with friends whom I have a great respect for their intellect and understanding and engaging the finer things in life; the more I become convinced with my position. Here is the summary of what I meant to say earlier. 1. Love does not exist autonomously from our mind: This means that love is not a creation that is out there living and waiting to inhabit our minds but it is merely a creation of our powerful minds. How is this possible? The inner workings of how our brain’s neurons function is mystery. But the theory goes as follows: 2. When a man courts a female there is the initial reaction. Afterwards if the right reactions takes place then the euphoric feeling that puts the butterflies (never knew what people meant by this) then kick in. The man becomes deliriously in “love” because apparently the void that is within us all have been filled with another being. This obviously continuous with its intensity for a period of time. After a while in a jubilant they decide to either marry (or for those of you who are fashionable and cheek COHABIT). The honeymoon then comes to stoppage. After couple years-depends how many neurons are available- then the marriage or cohabitation becomes a thing of the past. The woman argues uuuh we have been drifting apart, I love you Ali but I am not in love with you. This born out of the fact that she no longer feels those butterflies thus she needs to re-experience that immeasurably superlative emotional state. Then the marriage breaks down the woman and the man then start from anew. This is what happens in majority of the houses in Britain. 40% of marriages break down in the first two years because of the delusional pursue of love. One might argue that this does not happen to everyone. Look at our mothers and fathers; the large junks of them are together, then how do you apply this theory to such a compelling fact. I say, because it is not love that keeps them together it is what I call values. Becoming intricately part of the person. Identifying with what this person is about. Valuing the personality of this persona. Mutual respect and all the other paraphernalia that comes with the marriage: more importantly most of them did not get married because of love; they did so because they liked the person. This like might have been from physical and then it transformed into respect and adoration. But this is not even true in large part of our families. Most got married due to family reasons. Anyhow, I dislike localising the issue but I thought such illustration was needed. But love is nothing short of travesty. 3. How then one can have a successful curve of relationship? 4. The answer is within us all. We have to abandon the idea that we not perfect and another imperfect being will complete us. The only way this completion can come about is to get rid of you fears of the physical world and prepare of the ethereal world that awaits us all. This does not mean we should all become solitary fellows but indeed engage ourselves in rationalistic way and build our houses on solid foundations. This of course is difficult and it takes lots of energy and stamina, but it is worth it because you will never be in a world of illusion full of glittering stuff that are not diamonds. The heartbreak and marriages breakdowns will be minimal and people in general will have a jolly life. Faridah Walaal Alaah ha noo sahlo inaan si fudud wax uqorno sidaadoo kale AMIIN! Taqwa: Emotional blackmail does do well with me; by now you should have known this brother. I am indeed greatly influenced by Ghazali. He was great man, a man who encouraged thinking and contemplation not a blind following consequently I am following his methods and assuredly he will be elated to have heard my theories in life. I am not a “religious” man but that does not mean I can’t infer issues that might have religious stains. I maintain that nothing of this physical world is beautiful for the simple reason anything that is temporal is imperfect. The fact it is terrestrial demonstrates its mundane-hood. Beauty represents perfection. Thus, Allah is beautiful and what will come shall be so too. Jamal: the problem with the issue of love is that when you are clinically sober and you have all the mechanisms of your mind is functioning then you can see the idiocy behind this mirage but it when you are engulfed the intensity of the euphoria that you lose your sight consequently, shall I take your unusual u-turn due to your fleeting feeling that you are currently enjoying! If that is the case ride it with ferocity my fellow, but be sure that the waves will come down with a terrible after affect--- prepare yourself with a soft landing. Thus Spake the Old Nomad Sophist

Salaams Yaa Bashe, I don’t want this to escalate into muscle flexin because then the whole thing will change it is course, and to be honest with you i am not good at that sort of thing. Yes it was hastily written and the premises you refer dear sire are here to be expanded and scrutinised by my somalionline fellows. Use your magnifying glasses and I hope you see lots erroneous notions tha holds no water. And sorry I am for you to have such a high expectation of me, I never asked anyone to have a high expectation of me (I don't even have a high expectation of myself). Nevertheless, I am sure learning new words only itself can be beneficial and entertaining. I wonder what Shaqsii thinks of this? Thus Spake the Old Nomad Sophist

Uuh and there I was thinking some might place me in a room full of blasphemous characters- elated that I have survived from such fear. It is tiresomely samey for all of you to pick one issue out of the hastily written piece: then again some of us are concerned with ephemeral like feelings! My darling Sister Barwaaqo, The idiocy of the notion of love surfaces when one becomes so much intoxicated with another person, so much so that this person will indeed forsake the family who gave live to him—brought up I mean. It is this fact that daftness of love becomes apparent. I am not denying that vast amount of people believe in LOVE, so as that Jesus was the Son of God (walciyadu Bilah). The number of people doesn’t authenticate its existence—you have 4 hundred Buddist in the world, what does that tell you?. We are feeble creatures who are in need of something more than what we have got physically. Thus, we seek something wraithlike. To give yourself to another being wholly because you have some unexplained feeling is nothing short of ill natured. About the beauty in the physical world, come on I am sure you can understand where I am coming from. Real beauty (independent from our minds) does not exist in our physical world. The gorgeously sizzling Sloaney people you see in and around Kings Road is nothing but a human construction of beauty. Taqwa, Brother (Sister) I am aware of the Sufi sister though I disagree with her. I will get married (if I is written in the book) and have kids because this is in line with the practice of the Prophet. Bashe About love, brother you haven’t brought ideas into the realm but you have merely employed words and words themselves mean nothing if the reader does not understand their deeper meanings. I hope this helps. Thus Spake the Old Nomad Sophist

Life's purity is nothing short of human construction. Nothing in this physical world is beautiful. Our minds seduce us to believing that we are sometimes happy because of the beautiful life we lead. This of course is the epitome of all modified truths. Some of us fell into the mirage, seeing light at the end the of the tunnel but to find later-sometimes years of painful journey- that the mere light they had pursuing was charade thus falling into the gloom and the void they were initially trying to escape from. Bitterness becomes their the castle and hatred of human nature the water they drink. To avoid such malevolence life and requital existence one has to face the reality of our physical world. A modern world filled with pervading neoteric ideas that is contrary to the instituted traditional ideas that are embedded within us all. Love the deadliest word in any given language has been the fall down of many distinguished men and women through out the annals of history. Love, they say is the feast that nourishes our soul. Quite imposing statement!!. But what is love? Many will answer there is not definitive definition for it. You just have to fell in love then you shall know it. This abstract idea had been put in the same cabinet as the supreme-being Allah. In theology we are taught that Allah can never be defined. But it follows that the good news is if you are lucky enough you can feel of Allah. This is quite right, but why elevate a creation of your mind to a Allah like position? Quite puzzling notion!. I am sure as I write this many will either see this a fabrication of what seems to be reality. But I argue, the bliss of life is to be content with your being. The idea that one is completed by his “soul mate” (what a tosh) is nothing short of inferiority complex. Don’t get me wrong, in the presence of a comely lady a red blooded man will be overcome by emotional feeling and if he pursues the lady one becomes imbibed by a world dominated by biochemical agents. Agents that are tiny enough that one can not see with the naked eye. These biological reactions cause some fool men and women to believe that they are in love. Love as word (and the meaning behind it too) has been a force of happiness through out the annals of history and also a cause of heartache and death. The ferocity of Love does not mean that love gives life to thee. Furthermore, classical societies’ conception of love and our understanding of it are quite different. At least the approach is can never be further apart. Modernity has changed many ideological stances. Modern relationships are the classic example of modernity. The reversing roles of the sexes had been in place for centuries. Without adequate preparation men are told to accept a ‘inferior’ position in the relationship. Women also without the acquired sagacity have found a new confidence, a confidence that had been the cause of 40% percent of divorces in Britain. Somalis follow suit in masses. Families break down with less than 2 years of their inception. This sort of behavior has permeated into our society. Some young men with sparse of western education had thought they found the medicament of this disease. Apparently, these men and women’s marriages fall apart because of lack of love. So they set out of expedition to find their perspectives lovers. The road they have traveled had proved to be nothing short of precarious. The characters they have met were parroting than real. The adventure ends with the brusque realties of the physical life. Thus Spake the Old Nomad