Nisf'u Shaban

At 5.49am, I listened to the Azan. I had just had the pre-dawn meal - for the sunnah (optional) fast. Every cell in my body responding to every syllable in the azan. Wonderful. This was a consciousness my mind, body and soul liked. All 3 focused on One.

What a wondrous morning it is. Past 6am, the morning birds are beginning to make themselves heard. I often wonder at the way birds wake up. Surely they must have some quiet down time (like being awake and not yet making noise) ;) Lying in their nests, acquainting to the slow but sure dawning of the morn'. The skies turning from black to grey, then to blue in a matter of seconds. And then one bird, just one bird, decides to be the First one to break that silence. And slowly another and another ... and another follows.

Nisf Shaban is possibly the most significant day for me, every year. It's a day when we can focus and pray on what is planned for us in the forthcoming year. We can ask for unfavourable things to be changed. Remarkable. If the concept of pre-destination is true, then how can anything be changed? This was a question i had asked when i was 17. And found out the answer then, that, those possessing Faith, know that God/the Power of the universe is fair and that when giving choice, also gives us the ability to ask and seek. When the heart seeks; the body, mind and soul work as One. But then there is a fine line between merely seeking and sincerely seeking. I've learnt to see the difference between the two in the recent years. Very fine line. Sincerely seeking, implies wanting action/change/ movement in one's thinking/life. Most of us are just merely seeking - we don't necessarily act on what we learn. We don't make change in our lives, in our systems. We no doubt share with the people around us, what we are seeking. And this tells everyone where we are at. But at a personal level, to make that change, is quite an effort in itself.

Like deciding to become vegetarian. A vegetarian person makes an effort.
Or deciding to give up something - an addiction - (drugs, prostitution, alcohol, smoking weed/drags).

I was also thinking abt the ever increasing number of atheists in Australia - don't know why i thought of it quite suddenly but it was a stark realisation. I remembered how most of my interactions with people in Oz were with agnostics or atheists and how our conversations often centred on Mercy/Grace - where it comes from, how we survive or are saved in the nick of time. I remember one particular abseil we did in Uni days. It was in Australia - a 5 day trek over 7 peaks. They were called the Stirling Ranges. Parts of it treacherous, cos it was so windy and for southeast Asians, not used to the harsh bitter dry wind, we were tested right thru the journey. There were moments when we traversed on mountain edges, our hearts in our mouths, looking down steep caverns, gorges, bends - 200m, 70-80 degrees above sea level. Phoa. I nearly lost my footing once.. or twice or three times... each time, Grace or Mercy catching me, in the nick of time.

How this happens to all of us...our fates change, in that second. Why?
Nisf Shaban marks that ability of fate to change.
Y'day's fast felt wonderful. It was full - wholesome. I woke up this morning half hour before I was supposed to get up, cos I think my soul knew it wanted to get up and not miss the alarm. Funny how that happens. U just know and u just do.

Y'day incidentally was also the lunar eclipse. Cos it rained so hard all day, it was overcast in Singapore and I watched the whole spectacle online (Thanks to Discovery channel!). Here's alink if you're interested: http://www.spaceweather.com/eclipses/gallery_28aug07.htm
It was awesome - nice red moon, as observed from Southern Cross Observatory, Queensland, Australia.

I'm now looking fwd to Ramadan - abt 2 weeks from now and to more fasting :)

If you've written on the lunar eclipse, pls let me know. I'd love to read of your observations :)