سبحن الرّزّاق

Friday night + cleaning time + coffee = exploration through some of the religious books I’ve read and that have in one form or another been absorbed into my brain. I could’ve added fiction literature, but it’s taking too long to do this. I never really liked fiction so much anyways.

Islam: The Holy Quran, Book 1 of Bukhari (gotta return that), Etiquette of Life in Islam, Prophet Muhammad, and more. And Faza'il-E-A'Maal too, but isn't shown.

Christianity and Zoroasterianism: The Bible, The Teachings of Zoroaster, Inferno, The Story of The Other Wise Man.

Sanatana Dharma ("Hinduism"): Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Shankara's Crest Jewel of Discrimination, Autobiography of a Yogi, Vedic Ecology, etc.

Buddhism: Dhamapada; Sayings of the Buddha; Tibetan Book of the Dead; Kindness, Clarity, and Insight.

Some East Asian Thought: The I-Ching, Tao Te Ching, Zen Mind Beginner's Mind (ironically chewed by dog).

Western Religion/Philosophy: The Perennial Philosophy, The Manifold and The One, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, The Wu-Tang Manual.

As copyeditor, co-marketer, public relations (OK, I only wrote a couple press releases), and all-around point-man on this book project, I gotta post some info on William Coughlan’s latest book, Small Groups: The Process of Change. His own life (growing up in places like Liberia and Nigeria, involvement in the social movements of the ’60s and ’70s) and his ideas (one of which presents a business model that includes “emotional capital”) recently prompted him to write a letter to presidential candidate Barack Obama. The letter suggests Obama initiate a number of co-op ideas if elected, including a “Department of Co-ops.” (Read the full letter.)

Small Groups presents a new thought paradigm for society. Coughlan takes on our competitive individualist social model and replaces it with a co-operative, honeycombed structure that is based on our mutual needs (not just the needs of profit making). Yet, in Coughlan’s world, no one loses his or her individuality; each individual actually gains more independence as she or he begins networking and organizing ground-up.

At its most simple level, Small Groups helps people organize around their mutual needs and/or interests in a democratic and emotionally mindful manner. As the book says, use Small Groups to organize any group, from a bowling league to a farm co-op to a new political party. It also gives good pointers for dealing with people in your current job or organization. It’s an easy but deep read. Definitely worth it!

Check out excerpts and reader feedback (including historian Howard Zinn) at Coughlan’s Web site: www.coopgroups.com.

If you’ve read thus far, you might be interested in co-operating on some of William’s projects (wherever you may live). Contact me for more info.

This video shows the power of permaculture principles. It is from the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia. Not much else to say; just listen and watch:

The Edible Plant Map lists public and semi-public* locations where edible trees, bushes, and herbs can be found. The concept is to facilitate the modern foraging concept.

If anyone wants to add locations, comment here or contact me and I’ll add the locations or register you as a collaborator.

Some general guidelines:

• Don’t take everything. Leave some for others, the animals, and the soil.
• Don’t tresspass.
• If private property, consider asking the owners if they harvest, and if not, could you.
• Don’t post private locations w/out owner’s permission.
• Research to make sure you got the right plant.

*like a tree hanging over a sidewalk or abandoned property.

View Larger Map

I’ve been told that religion is “unicorns and rainbows.” Well, I am pleased to find that others in the Oberlin family were all about unicorns as well and included the creature on family crests.

I wonder what the symbol means on the second crest in.

From The Muslim Jesus by Tarif Khalidi, number 158, page 139:

Among God’s revelations to Jesus is the following: ‘Son of Adam, weep all the days of your life the weeping of one who has said farewell to the world and whose desire has been elevated to the world of God. Be content with the bare necessities of this world, and find contentment with what is rough and coarse. In truth I say to you, you are worth no more than your day and hour, for you will be called to account. If only you knew what I have promised the righteous, you would surrender your spirit.’

The Subhana Razaaq blog is ranked 4,564,521st on technorati.com. What now…

First, what’s a hadith? Hadiths are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Hadith collections are important tools for determining the Sunnah, or the Muslim way of life.

Second, before I begin posting Quran ayats (verses) and hadiths, I want to say I’m of course not a scholar of Islam. I do not want to just throw some ayats and hadiths out without proper knowledge. But there are some verses that are obviously about the relationship between humans and the environment. Many of these nature-related verses also have deeper meanings spiritually. So it is my intent that we gain more than just knowledge about the material world from these “Islamic Ecology Memos.” Islamic Ecology Memo #1:

Ibn Majah reports that a person was making wudu (ablution [washing] before prayer) and he was using too much water. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “What is this waste?” The man said, “Is there a waste in wudu also, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Yes, even if you were near a flowing river.” (Ibn Majah, Hadith 419 [need to verify this number])

Yet I see at some masjids, brothers who leave the faucet on full blast and walk away! We don’t need the faucet at full blast to make wudu; we don’t need to powerwash off the dirt and sins. Alahuakbar, Allah will supply whatever water he wills to of course, but we are still responsible to make effort to conserve. If you look at how misusing resources negatively affects people across the world, conservation is a real tool to increase the wellbeing of others, thereby increasing our own record of good deeds, inshallah. And in the end, I hope our good deeds weigh heavily. I make effort at my home to use a water can of some sort to make wudu or even sometimes to take a bath (hmm…memo to come on this specifically, inshallah).

In general, Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala directly commands the humans not to waste. And Allah directly refers to Bani Adam, the Tribe of Adam—as in all of humankind, not just the Muslims or the People of the Book:

{{“O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer, eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters.”}} (Quran, surah al-A’raf [The Heights], ayat 31, translation)

A nice how-to on wudu:

I checked for some info on Freemason philosophy real quick. I’ve been hearing a lot of negative things online about it. Yet my father’s maternal grandpa was a Freemason, many presidents Freemason (and now Jay Z?)…great grandpa and Jay Z hangin out tonight at the lodge…oh, and one of their symbols is on the US dollar. I’m sort of figuring it is the main “religion” (or philosophy of way of life?) of the United States, if can be separated as another religion that is. If so, it would be important to learn about the rites, just to be educated on it.

I also have a H.P. Blavatsky book, The Secret Doctrine: Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy. I hear she was 33rd degree freemason but then this other Web site refutes. I do recognize the same symbols, though. I’ll have to check that out some more.

So at least for now here’s some aprons from Phoenixmasonry, Inc (they take it back to Solomon’s priests), which I found when googled “freemason first degree”: