Our Minds... Treasure Without End

"Avoid cupidity (i.e. greed), for it is instant poverty."
-Prophet Muhammad PBUH

My Mind to me a kingdom is,
Such present joys therein I find,
That it excels all other bliss
That earth affords or grows by kind;
Though much I want which most would have,
Yet still my mind forbids to crave.

No princely pomp, no wealthy store,
No force to win the victory,
No wily wit to salve a sore,
No shape to feed a loving eye;
To none of these I yield as thrall:
For why? My mind doth serve all.

I see how plenty surfeits oft,
And hasty climbers soon do fall;
I see that those which are aloft
Mishap doth threaten most of all,
They get with toil, they keep with fear;
Such cares my mind could never bear.

Content to live, this is my stay;
I seek no more than may suffice;
I press to bear no haughty sway;
Look, what I lack my mind supplies:
Lo, thus I triumph like a king.
Content with that my mind doth bring.

Some have too much, yet still do crave;
I little have, and seek no more.
They are but poor, though much they have,
And I am rich with little store;
They poor, I rich; they beg, I give;
They lack, I leave; they pine, I live.
-Sir Edward Dyer, 16th Century

"Consider well contentment, for it is a treasure without end."
-Prophet Muhammad PBUH

Biking the way to Hajj

Hajj season may have has passed us by a while ago, but this man's sustainable alternative to the typical Hajj travel and caravan package will be inspiring us all year long, inshAllah. Check out the story of Dzhanar-Aliev Magomed-Ali, a 63 year old Chechen villager who biked 11,838 kilometers to Mecca, Saudi Arabia and back!

Heal your home

For everyone who has seen the Story of Stuff video, you'll remember all the untested chemicals (ahem toxins) that we are constantly exposed to in our own homes!! Scary stuff, especially considering that many of the ingredients are cancer-related, and they are found in so many different places, from personal care items to air fresheners to cookware. Check out Co op America's Heal Your Home, "a one-stop shop for the articles we’ve written on nontoxic living over the past few years, from finding least-toxic paints and stains to making your own green cleaners to detoxing your entire bedroom. " Just one more reason why I'll have to go back to my dear Baba and profess his genius in using lemon juice, apple cider, and baking soda for the stuck-on grease...