Gratitude - Alhamdullilah

The more you know yourself, the more clarity there is. Self-knowledge has no end – you don’t come to an achievement; you don’t come to a conclusion. It is an endless river.  Jiddu Krishnamurti 

Alhamdullilah HiRabbil-Alaminn... my gratitude to You Lord of Creation. For non Muslim s, not to freak out simply because I said Thank you to my Maker for all that He/She has given me in this life even if for most I know i do not deserve; you aught to do the same with your God or whatever that you look up to as your Source. The feeling of gratitude towards the unseen even if you deem the Universe Itself is a meritorious virtue that is healing and beneficial for the soul, unless you do not believe in the soul itself. IN most countries in the East one can see people doing this by replenishing their shrines with offerings of food and incense and the Muslims automatically do this in their early morning prayers. 

Al-Fātiḥah (Arabic: الْفَاتِحَة‎, "The Opening" or "The Opener") is the first chapter (sūrah) of the Quran. Its seven verses (āyāt) are a prayer for the guidance, lordship, and mercy of God.^[1] This chapter has an essential role in Islamic prayer (salāt). The primary literal meaning of the expression "al-Fātiḥah" is "The Opener," which could refer to this Surah being "the opener of the Book" (Fātiḥat al-kitāb), to its being the first Surah recited in full in every prayer cycle (rakʿah), or to the manner in which it serves as an opening for many functions in everyday Islamic life. Some Muslims interpret it as a reference to an implied ability of the Surah to open a person to faith in God.^[2]

The above Surah or verse is fundamental in every prayer performed by a Muslim in his daily life or activity and most important of verses when performing the Solat five times a day. In reciting the verse one feels the an inner gratitude towards that which one holds to be the Giver of Love and Mercy, the Bountiful and the Lord of All Creation; unless one is an atheist and has lived life denying that which is worship through faith alone; the Unseen. Sometimes I say Alhamdullilah even when I am tested by ill tidings or ill fate, the suffering that I dace in the course of my daily existence if nothing else simply to remind that the good as well as the bad comes from the Giver or the Source to help me find my way out of the darkness of the moment into the light; there are times when life's trials and tribulations are simply beyond my will to handle or overcome and by turning inwards and addressing that which resides within me I often feel the strength to face all odds or at the very least by surrendering my will I feel less alone or lost.

Al Fatihah:

1) In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

(2) Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the universe.

(3) The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

(4) Master of The Day of Judgment.

(5) You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.

(6) Guide us {to} the straight path.

(7) The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not of those who earned {Your} wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.

The word Allah alone would freak out a non-Muslim like it is a taboo to be avoided at all cost. However the meaning of this word is simply -The God

What is the meaning of Allah?

In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from al-ilāh, which means "the god", and is related to El and Elah, the Hebrew and Aramaic words for God. The word Allah has been used by Arabic people of different religions since pre-Islamic times. -Wikipedia.

There is no great mystery to this word except to the Muslim it carries much heavier weight as it would the word Jehovah or Elohim to the Jews and Christians or the word Brahman to the Hindu or Wakan Tanka to the Native Tribes of America.

What does Wakan Tanka mean?

In Lakota spirituality, Wakan Tanka (Standard Lakota Orthography: Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka) is the term for the sacred or the divine. This is usually translated as the "Great Spirit" and occasionally as "Great Mystery".

Hence, to the Taoist,The Tao is what one pay homage to in expressing our gratitude for our existence for the Tao too is often expressed as the "Great Mystery." Although one does not 'worship' the Buddha, for Buddhist the Buddha and His Teachings is revered with gratitude. 

#Allah,#Tao,#Jehovah,#Elohim,#Brahman,#Wakan Tanka,#The Great Mystery",#God,#Alhamdullilah

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