1. A PRESENTATION ON REFLECTION by ASGAR FAKHRUDIN
www.hikmaah.com

2. Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the
alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of
understanding. - 190 : SURAH AL IMRAn
Scientific Fact: The retina is a transparent , paper thin layer of nerve tissue at the back of the
eyeball, on which the eye's lens projects an image of the world. It is connected by the optic
nerve, a million fibre cell, to regions deep in the brain. A human retina is less than a centimetre
square and half millimetre thick.
It takes robot vision programme about 100 computer instructions to derive single edge or
motion detection from a comparable video image. 100 million instructions are needed to do a
million detection's, and 1000 MIPS to repeat them ten times per second to match the retina. (
Article on the net - ' When will computer hardware match the human brain - Hans Moravec)

3. Just go to think of it. Thousands of birth per minute around the
world - chubby cheeks, rosy lips, dimple chin, glowing eyes with
retina in place, needing no computer programme, no human
ingenuity, no advertisement promotion - a complete packaging, a
miracle indeed.
All Hamd is for Allah for his Glorious creation. With the
help of retina, we are able to see, and that itself is marvel of Allah's
creation. But as I was reflecting on this, a thought provoking aspect
of 'seeing' held me spell bound and I cried aloud
ALHAMDOLILLAH!
'To see' is relative to one who is seeing.
To illustrate my point, I will narrate a very common sight that we
happen to see a number of times. A kite (bird of hawk family) who
has ensnared a mouse firmly between its legs, was being pursued
frantically by other kites and crows, and there was a much
commotion up in the sky. A common scene that we witness in our
cities.

4. 
Coming to my point, the above scene being enacted high in the sky was seen by different types of
people at the same time.
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For the street children fighting over coins thrown out to them from the passing car, the chase in the skies,
provided a merry diversion, and they cheered and ran around and looked up expectantly, as to what will
be the final outcome.
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For a Merrill Lynch & Co.Inc: executive enjoying his lunch break on the 20th floor plush office and
looking out of the glass windows, the spectacle in the sky is viewed with interest, as the art of
survival in the highly competitive market place, by deft and timely marketing techniques. He is
thinking of incorporating one or two features from the fight in the sky and the lessons learnt, in the
report on 'overriding the market sentiments', that he is busy preparing for the upcoming seminar.

For a betting syndicate boss out for lunch with his cronies, the fight above in the sky, gives them an
opportunity to horn their 'betting skills' and each puts his bet, on who will ultimately get the prized
booty - in this case the mouse.

5.  A politician who is facing censor and investigations resulting from 'tahelka type'
exposures, sees himself as the 'poor kite' who is being pursued, one who has by dint of
hard work got hold of the well deserved 'meat' and now his own tribe is after him, to rob
him of the booty.
 A radical trade unionist addressing a meeting, looks up and on seeing the spectacle in the
sky, exhorts his comrades to unitedly fight for their rights, and kite with the prey is seen
as the bourgeois capitalist who alone wants to enjoy the fruits of their collective labour.
 Thus a common spectacle is seen in countless other ways by different set of
people. Now let me bring you back to what finally happens high up in the sky.
 The kite tries many ways to escape with its prey. At last exhausted and
disgusted, it drops the mouse, which is instantly caught by another kite,
which is now hotly pursued. Once free of its burden, it alights to rest on
a tree branch, beneath which a wise sage is sitting and he has also been
observing closely the spectacle in the sky.

6.  The kite,once free of its burden, alights to rest on a tree branch,
beneath which a wise sage is sitting and he has also been observing
closely the spectacle in the sky.
 This is what he says: 'Oh what peace and happiness attend upon him
who shakes off all worldly attractions and burdens and becomes free!
What danger otherwise.' Thus saying he falls into deep contemplation.
How very true.
 To 'let go' does not mean to forsake the world and go deep into
the woods.
 It is more to do with our attitude towards materialism. If we make it a
means to attend a noble end, it is beneficial but if we make it an 'end
in itself' it will surely bring sorrow and misery. A sterling example of
what I want to convey is reflected in the life of Moulana Ali (S.A.) and
in the nasihat of Syedi Sadikali Saheb.
 'hazar viga zameen kherta pote apni kuvaat thi
 khazuri te ma boi ne daulat peda karta mehnat thi'

7.  But at the same time Moulana Ali (S.A.) admonishes worldly
materialism with the words ' khank che tara khazana upar....'
 Detachment in human relationship does not mean an
absence of caring. It means caring so much, that you
suspend your own value judgements about others and
relate to them from a position of love rather than attempting
to control or judge them. The person who is detached in this
sense is one who will avoid all the unnecessary sufferings
that most people experience in their relationship.
 Try squeezing a handful of water and see how quickly it
disappears. But relax and let your hand flow in the same water as
long as you like. This is the principle of detachment and flowing.
Allowing the things to flow naturally is the way of the universe.
(Book: "You'll see it when you believe it" by Dr. Wayne W.Dyer)
 I highly recommend this book.

8.  All Hamd is for Allah for His azeem ehsanats for having blessed us with a Hadi and
Rehbar.
 When it comes to Hamd and Shukr for the azeem ehsans of our beloved Aqa Moula
(TUS)and his Mansoos A’li Qdr Muffadhal Moula Saifuddin (TUS).

Words fail me, and tears, deep down feeling of gratefulness, spiritual bliss, resolve to
serve my Moula and community better, are some of the few things that I offer in
humility, fully aware of my limitation of knowledge and capacity.

I end in the words of Syedi Sadikali Saheb :
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"Dai che pan ginaye che goya Imam ma
Che muktada azal thi salaat o siyaam ma
Mazmoon hiqmato na che jena kalam ma
Arwah ni haj yakeen che jena salaam ma
Burhanuddin na chera ma hi Rab nu che vuzud
Karze jukhi ne ehne tu Sadik Ali sujuud"
 Here I would take the liberty to add:
 'Sadik Ali jo jota aa Burhanuddin ni shaan
 Shukr na asu fakat niklta, ruki jata kalaam '