Quote of the week:
'I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than his. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.' - Hadith Qudsi
Commentary of the week:
Ramadan and Sustainability:
As you can see, the Ramadan theme continues this week (and depending on responses, perhaps for the month). This could be because it is difficult to summarize in a single IWB the various strands of thought that being famished and dreaming of samosas all day forces upon weak minds such as yours truly or it could be that there is something unexplored about the subject still left to say. The thirst for something cool, refreshing and liquidy does not allow me the latitude to use the overtaxed brain matter too much today so I will leave this particular question for now. What I will share with you though, is a thought that is becoming more and more impossible for me to get away from as I reflect a bit on the first few days of fasting.
Perhaps it is also appropriate for me to describe exactly the circumstances in which this thought was forcibly put into my head. It sort of happened as I was huffing and puffing my way up the last hill to perform my various cleaning duties at the glass castle that is Ittihad on my two-wheeled human powered vehicle that I began to day dream about not having to huff and puff back home after work and instead thought of driving back in the red Porsche that had just overtaken me at something approaching light-speed at a distance so close as to almost take my bushy, flowing and truly impressive beard with it while I progressed at a pace approaching that of a particularly slow snail on her way to visit reluctant in-laws. Of course, it should not have been so easy for me to lose focus on what is truly important in life but what can I say - the car was the exact shade of cherry red it should have been and I was suffering from severe dehydration. The thought in question though, as I was deciding between making a sincere prayer for a drink of water or wishing for the Porsche itself, was driven home in quite violent fashion as my poor vehicle suddenly fell into what is perhaps the largest pothole east of the Grand Canyon. As my bones, wrists, knees, elbows, neck and torso felt the impact of a bicycle travelling upwards towards a fairly heavy body travelling downwards, I was reminded again of many things that I had foolishly forgotten. One was that there is language one must not use during fasting, or ever really. The second was that on the road of life, it is not the usual smoothness that is memorable, but the violence of the potholes. Once I recovered (if that is indeed the word), I also realized a deeper truth - which is that it is exactly such thoughts as the ones I was having for the Porsche and the vicious cycle of longing for things only to be bored with them later that festivals such as Ramadan are supposed to protect people such as me from.
Even if on the face of things we think of Ramadan as a particularly Muslim month, there is no denying that there are many religions, faiths and viewpoints that advocate the sacrifice of both some our petty needs and some of our deepest longings in order to develop something of a more refined personal and societal character. Festivals such as Lent come to mind, but I am sure that there are many others with whom we share some of the concepts of Ramadan. One reason this is important for one as obsessed with finance as me is that Ramadan to me is perhaps one of the most anti-consumption ideas to take some hold in a society bent on consuming itself and in theory this holds great promise for the development of a sustainable economy. To truly take advantage of this month and it's insights promises to let us break out from the mental prison of personal needs and take us through to the liberation of generosity and compassion instead. This is an important point because one of the things that we need at a societal level is a system or way of life that allows us to live as part of the world, not as parasites upon it. While one has to be very careful about promising grand solutions to the world's problems and we as Muslims certainly cannot claim to have everything figured out (the disagreements about the sighting of the moon come to mind), there is nevertheless a deep wisdom at work here in building a society that is willing to sacrifice personally for at least some part of the year in order to give the rest of the planet a bit of a break from their personal needs.
As this is not a very obvious topic for discussion (I think), I am somewhat sure that there has been very little research that has been done to determine whether widespread societal fasting such as that during Ramadan contributes to the sustainability of that particular economy. Of course - it may be difficult to gather evidence because we could be so far gone as Muslims that we simply shift our consumption to the evenings instead of during the day and thereby do not really change much except just our patterns, not the amount or kind of our consumption. If the latter is true, then perhaps this loss of the deeper meaning and transformational promise of Ramadan is a tragedy even larger than that of the pothole. One feels though, that that all of you fine IWB readers are better than that, and it is only moi that needs the bone-crushing reminders.
Ramadan Mubarak - May this month be full of blessings for you all IA.
--------------
Upcoming Events:
Go ahead, invite us ...
Office for Rent:
As we have recently moved all our staff to the glass-enclosed cage that we call our head office, we have an entire fully furnished, gorgeous office for rent in a Medical Building at the corner of Sheppard Ave. and McCowan. The rent is minimal and the salient features of the space - such as the beautiful windows, the spacious Board-Room, the Corner offices, the nice faux mahogany furniture are enough to motivate your employees to work long hours while being paid whatever little you grudgingly give them. As this is a Professional Building (not just any building mind you, this one has achieved professional status through years of just sitting there), it would be most suitable for a growing real estate, accountancy or legal practice. You can visit the space and see the endless possibilities that this new location presents for your business by clicking here or calling Mr. Azeez at (416) 412 3999 ext. 115.
__________
Finance News:
1. For those of you wondering what the Private Equity industry is up to ... read more here
2. An interesting story about the emerging nexus between Finance and the Army in Canada ... read more here
3. Is Commercial Banking the next in line for losses? ... read more here
Economic News:
1. Municipal Bond market in a bit of a pickle. Can't have cities and townships going bankrupt now can we ... read more here
2. Another Green Revolution with implications for a sustainable economy ... read more here
Islamic / Middle East / Emerging Markets:
1. Looking just beyond the headlines of a booming Indian economy ... read more here
2. Abu Dhabi is getting into the movie business. Can this mean that the next Superman will have a beard, or will wear his underwear on the inside?! Stay tuned ... read more here
3. Almost everything that is wrong with the field of Islamic Finance in one short paragraph (hat-tip to Sikander Ali) ... read more here
Interesting but not all Finance:
1. An excellent write-up on how universities contribute to local (and global) economies. A case study of the Perimeter Institute, funded by the founder of RIM (hat-tip to Suhail Ahmad) ... read more here
2. Absolutely and positively a must read for anyone that is fasting this Ramadan (hat-tip to Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed)... read more here
3. A piece of ice larger than the size of most countries breaks off the Arctic Ice-Shelf ... Hummer, anyone? read more here
Showing posts with label Ramadan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ramadan. Show all posts
Monday, September 8, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Colour of Ramadan
Quote of the week:
'None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.' - Ralph Waldo Emerson.
One assumes it works the same way for women, but I cannot be sure. I thought to share this quote because I thought the idea of listening for whispers amongst all the shouting in life is a powerful one - I hope all of you have an excellent Ramadan, devoid of loud disturbances and full of whispers that inspire you.
Commentary of the week:
The Colour of Ramadan:
As many of us know, the month of Ramadan is just around the corner. Some of us are stocking up on the ice cream and the parathas (exquisitely made fried pita) for those midnight cravings, some of us are planning cricket matches in parking lots at mid-night and some of us are even looking forward to the annual redevelopment of the discipline involved in the denial or control of our various appetites, such as the one for food and drink from sunrise till sunset. This is thus a special time, because we force ourselves to think of things in a different context. It is no longer about what we need to eat or feel like eating or doing on a daily basis, but rather about how best to spend the month reconnecting with our own spirituality and to the family and community around us. It is a time that we force ourselves to be generous, courteous and sensitive to others such that we begin to remember what it is like to be the genuine people that we really are but perhaps forget to be for the rest of the year because of our sometimes pedestrian, work-a-day lives. One wonders of course, and perhaps this is a question for all of us, about what would happen to our lives if we were able to apply the same consciousness and spirituality that we try and re-discover every year during Ramadan to our lives for the rest of the year as well.
So here are my top 3 suggestions for a special Ramadan experience - it may be wise to ignore them completely as I am no scholar of any faith, but perhaps something here will resonate with you as well.
1. Sacrifice not just food, but the appetite for living a consumptive life. This simply means that instead of planning to just cut down a bit on the eating during the day and then making up for it by frying up a few cows or sheep in the evening, try to actually consume less over the month. If you are feeling particularly adventurous and really want to get into the spirit of things, consume less of even stuff such as gas, electricity, water etc. for the duration of the month. Too often we deny only one aspect of consumption by eating no food during the day but then make up for that by polishing off a few defenceless chickens in the evening. Try to spare the chickens, the eggs and the water in an absolute sense. Not only will you have saved some holiday money as your various utility, gas and junk food bills come down, you will also have built up habits of modesty in those areas of life where our modesty is not usually applied.
2. Reconnect with not just the Divine, but also the signs of the Divine that are present around us all year. We are blessed in the sense that we have an infrastructure of places where we can worship but in some ways, even the sincere appreciation of something beautiful is a form of worship. So spend some time with your family visiting beautiful parks that we gladly pay for with our taxes between prayer times. If you have kids, get to know their dreams and aspirations so you have a better idea of how you can help them grow into excellent people that you would be proud to know even if they were not related to you. If you are young, spend some quiet and gentle moments with your parents getting to really know them again. Try and be helpful to friends, smile at yourself and others even though you are hungry and want ice cream. Forgive yourself for those mistakes for which you can and ask Divine Forgiveness for those that are beyond just you and those around you. The idea of Ramadan is meant to be something of a renewal of the beautiful aspects of your life so surround yourself with your beautiful neighbours, teachers, friends and the lush greenery and beauty that we are blessed with here in Toronto (and Canada) when you have a moment or two. Let the colour of this Ramadan be green.
3. Remember the big deal we made about the Olympics? Think of this Ramadan now as a spiritual, physical and mental Olympics that is open and accessible to everyone, not just the religious or even the Muslim elite. There are no obvious medals for success and just a genuine try to be better than the petty circumstances of our lives is a win. Also, nobody has to lose in order for others to feel successful. This is a challenge for ourselves to be better than we were a month ago, not for us to be better than others. It is also a time of inclusion such that we reach out make friends with our neighbours and co-workers regardless of differences in faiths. It is meant to be a time when we stretch beyond any petty tribalism and really connect with people.
Someone asked me recently why I wrote something against the Olympics. I tried to clarify that what I wrote was not against the Olympics as much as it was against an intense focus on the events to the detriment of other things. Perhaps I should have added that we have an annual event of our own that deserves some focus as well. Many athletes tell us that the Olympics is a special time for them because they push themselves physically and they have to wait for it for four years. This Ramadan, we again have an opportunity to push ourselves on not just a physical level, but a spiritual and mental one as well. Let us then - take this opportunity to be good, to be well, and to be helpful to those that cross the path of our lives for even a short time. After all, we don't really have to wait for four years to push ourselves a little more.
Ramadan Mubarak - May this month be full of blessings for you all IA.
--------------
Upcoming Events:
Go ahead, invite us ...
Office for Rent:
As we have recently moved all our staff to the glass-enclosed cage that we call our head office, we have an entire fully furnished, gorgeous office for rent in a Medical Building at the corner of Sheppard Ave. and McCowan. The rent is minimal and the salient features of the space - such as the beautiful windows, the spacious Board-Room, the Corner offices, the nice faux mahogany furniture are enough to motivate your employees to work long hours while being paid whatever little you grudgingly give them. As this is a Professional Building (not just any building mind you, this one has achieved professional status through years of just sitting there), it would be most suitable for a growing real estate, accountancy or legal practice. You can visit the space and see the endless possibilities that this new location presents for your business by clicking here or calling Mr. Azeez at (416) 412 3999 ext. 115.
__________
Finance News:
1. CIBC still can't get all the bad news out ... read more here
2. Gotta love the banks. Information Privacy at its best ... read more here
3. World's largest bank getting even larger ... read more here
Economic News:
1. Business bankruptcies in the US surge more than 42% from last year ... read more here
2. An excellent, short, simple (but not too oversimplified) column on the link between inflation and standard living (using the US as a case study) ... read more here
Islamic / Middle East / Emerging Markets:
1. For many countries less blessed with fresh water than Canada, water is the new oil ... read more here
2. Chinese companies in Iraq? ... read more here
3. Saudi Arabia allows foreign ownership of their public stocks ... read more here
Interesting but not all Finance:
1. The 'Big Bang' experiment is about to be held under the mountains of Switzerland ... read more here
2. The not-so-secret Brain Food behind Ittihad's genius. Please, stick with the Green Tea ... read more here
'None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.' - Ralph Waldo Emerson.
One assumes it works the same way for women, but I cannot be sure. I thought to share this quote because I thought the idea of listening for whispers amongst all the shouting in life is a powerful one - I hope all of you have an excellent Ramadan, devoid of loud disturbances and full of whispers that inspire you.
Commentary of the week:
The Colour of Ramadan:
As many of us know, the month of Ramadan is just around the corner. Some of us are stocking up on the ice cream and the parathas (exquisitely made fried pita) for those midnight cravings, some of us are planning cricket matches in parking lots at mid-night and some of us are even looking forward to the annual redevelopment of the discipline involved in the denial or control of our various appetites, such as the one for food and drink from sunrise till sunset. This is thus a special time, because we force ourselves to think of things in a different context. It is no longer about what we need to eat or feel like eating or doing on a daily basis, but rather about how best to spend the month reconnecting with our own spirituality and to the family and community around us. It is a time that we force ourselves to be generous, courteous and sensitive to others such that we begin to remember what it is like to be the genuine people that we really are but perhaps forget to be for the rest of the year because of our sometimes pedestrian, work-a-day lives. One wonders of course, and perhaps this is a question for all of us, about what would happen to our lives if we were able to apply the same consciousness and spirituality that we try and re-discover every year during Ramadan to our lives for the rest of the year as well.
So here are my top 3 suggestions for a special Ramadan experience - it may be wise to ignore them completely as I am no scholar of any faith, but perhaps something here will resonate with you as well.
1. Sacrifice not just food, but the appetite for living a consumptive life. This simply means that instead of planning to just cut down a bit on the eating during the day and then making up for it by frying up a few cows or sheep in the evening, try to actually consume less over the month. If you are feeling particularly adventurous and really want to get into the spirit of things, consume less of even stuff such as gas, electricity, water etc. for the duration of the month. Too often we deny only one aspect of consumption by eating no food during the day but then make up for that by polishing off a few defenceless chickens in the evening. Try to spare the chickens, the eggs and the water in an absolute sense. Not only will you have saved some holiday money as your various utility, gas and junk food bills come down, you will also have built up habits of modesty in those areas of life where our modesty is not usually applied.
2. Reconnect with not just the Divine, but also the signs of the Divine that are present around us all year. We are blessed in the sense that we have an infrastructure of places where we can worship but in some ways, even the sincere appreciation of something beautiful is a form of worship. So spend some time with your family visiting beautiful parks that we gladly pay for with our taxes between prayer times. If you have kids, get to know their dreams and aspirations so you have a better idea of how you can help them grow into excellent people that you would be proud to know even if they were not related to you. If you are young, spend some quiet and gentle moments with your parents getting to really know them again. Try and be helpful to friends, smile at yourself and others even though you are hungry and want ice cream. Forgive yourself for those mistakes for which you can and ask Divine Forgiveness for those that are beyond just you and those around you. The idea of Ramadan is meant to be something of a renewal of the beautiful aspects of your life so surround yourself with your beautiful neighbours, teachers, friends and the lush greenery and beauty that we are blessed with here in Toronto (and Canada) when you have a moment or two. Let the colour of this Ramadan be green.
3. Remember the big deal we made about the Olympics? Think of this Ramadan now as a spiritual, physical and mental Olympics that is open and accessible to everyone, not just the religious or even the Muslim elite. There are no obvious medals for success and just a genuine try to be better than the petty circumstances of our lives is a win. Also, nobody has to lose in order for others to feel successful. This is a challenge for ourselves to be better than we were a month ago, not for us to be better than others. It is also a time of inclusion such that we reach out make friends with our neighbours and co-workers regardless of differences in faiths. It is meant to be a time when we stretch beyond any petty tribalism and really connect with people.
Someone asked me recently why I wrote something against the Olympics. I tried to clarify that what I wrote was not against the Olympics as much as it was against an intense focus on the events to the detriment of other things. Perhaps I should have added that we have an annual event of our own that deserves some focus as well. Many athletes tell us that the Olympics is a special time for them because they push themselves physically and they have to wait for it for four years. This Ramadan, we again have an opportunity to push ourselves on not just a physical level, but a spiritual and mental one as well. Let us then - take this opportunity to be good, to be well, and to be helpful to those that cross the path of our lives for even a short time. After all, we don't really have to wait for four years to push ourselves a little more.
Ramadan Mubarak - May this month be full of blessings for you all IA.
--------------
Upcoming Events:
Go ahead, invite us ...
Office for Rent:
As we have recently moved all our staff to the glass-enclosed cage that we call our head office, we have an entire fully furnished, gorgeous office for rent in a Medical Building at the corner of Sheppard Ave. and McCowan. The rent is minimal and the salient features of the space - such as the beautiful windows, the spacious Board-Room, the Corner offices, the nice faux mahogany furniture are enough to motivate your employees to work long hours while being paid whatever little you grudgingly give them. As this is a Professional Building (not just any building mind you, this one has achieved professional status through years of just sitting there), it would be most suitable for a growing real estate, accountancy or legal practice. You can visit the space and see the endless possibilities that this new location presents for your business by clicking here or calling Mr. Azeez at (416) 412 3999 ext. 115.
__________
Finance News:
1. CIBC still can't get all the bad news out ... read more here
2. Gotta love the banks. Information Privacy at its best ... read more here
3. World's largest bank getting even larger ... read more here
Economic News:
1. Business bankruptcies in the US surge more than 42% from last year ... read more here
2. An excellent, short, simple (but not too oversimplified) column on the link between inflation and standard living (using the US as a case study) ... read more here
Islamic / Middle East / Emerging Markets:
1. For many countries less blessed with fresh water than Canada, water is the new oil ... read more here
2. Chinese companies in Iraq? ... read more here
3. Saudi Arabia allows foreign ownership of their public stocks ... read more here
Interesting but not all Finance:
1. The 'Big Bang' experiment is about to be held under the mountains of Switzerland ... read more here
2. The not-so-secret Brain Food behind Ittihad's genius. Please, stick with the Green Tea ... read more here
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