tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11758659732905129202011-08-01T22:18:26.466-07:00Troy Harrisnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1175865973290512920.post-34794812540611042312009-03-09T22:50:00.000-07:002009-03-12T00:08:02.432-07:00<span style="font-family:verdana;">Shakib Gunn passed away in Singapore during my recent sojourn in India. He was a noble friend. The objective of a Muslim's time on earth is to prepare for success in the Aakhirah, and Shikib understood his personal advent as merely, if essentially a means to this end — "the life hereafter." He scoffed at the popular notion of Enlightenment. Of course he had wished to gain in the virtues of wisdom, knowledge and compassion — no question. But the grandiose dimensions privileged and conferred on that modern day unicorn — particularly as pandered by the international publishing houses — was clearly, for Shakib, excessive and pointless. It simply wasn't necessary to be "enlightened." Life on earth was limited in scope as well as objective; neither thorns nor flowers should distract us from this goal. To Shakib's mind, the notion of Enlightenment amounted to an ill-starred if not completely devastating ideological dajjaal, or 'lying creature' lodged within the belly of contemporary spirituality.<br /><br />I wish my good buddy a truly fulfilling journey.<br /><br />See <a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://torrid-zone-shade.blogspot.com/2009/03/shakib-gunn-12th-june-1934-17th.html">http://torrid-zone-shade.blogspot.com/2009/03/shakib-gunn-12th-june-1934-17th.html</a><br /><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1175865973290512920-3479481254061104231?l=shakibgunn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Troy Harrisnoreply@blogger.com0