Time to go offline for a little while. Taking a break. Breathing deeply. Seeing different things and taking a new perspective.
Looking forward to meet with the wonderful people of the rural-development-network open-village.org and to connect with other active villages around the country, inchaallah.
I wish you very relaxing summer weeks and leave you with our newest news and our annual report of the campus vivant’e (available in three languages) :
Our “Id el kebir” (festival of sacrifice) is tomorrow on Wednesday in Morocco, but already today in many other Muslim countries –
so we wish a very blessed Id to all Muslims and happy peaceful days to the worlds!
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
Allāhu akbar, allāhu akbar, allāhu akbar lā ilāha illā-llāh allāhu akbar, allāhu akbar walillāhi l-ḥamd[a]
” Eid al-Adha, Arabic for Festival of the Sacrifice, is the latter of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God’s command. (The Jewish and Christian religions believe that according to Genesis 22:2, Abraham took his son Isaac to sacrifice.) Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead. In commemoration of this intervention, animals are sacrificed ritually. One third of their meat is consumed by the family offering the sacrifice, while the rest is distributed to the poor and needy. Sweets and gifts are given, and extended family are typically visited and welcomed.[6]
Another school-year at campus vivant’eis over, one full of change in the most incredible ways. So many synchronizations happened over the last few months, that I sometimes just stand there, mouth and eyes wide open “Allahu akbar!” Doors that suddenly opened, contacts that were arranged and opportunities we always dreamt of…
If you are interested in more details on our school and work, you can see the annual report in french here or german there .
I take now some weeks off, re-centering, refuel and strengthen myself again. Happy to have again more time for family, kids, friends and the garden, inchaallah. And time to read, to spend in my lounge-chair, to ponder and to reflect.
I look forward to spend hours just reading, reading, reading and learning. My absolute TOP favorite literature these days and since several months already are ALL books of Richard Dotts.
I cannot tell you, how much good they do to me, alhamdulillah. Just by reading them, I feel prosperous, joyful, light, energized and uplifted. I began with one, and then I really read all 30 books of him – what a gift of shared down-to earth-practicable-knowledge he offers! And I read them again, and again and again. Alhamdulillah.
Wishing you most beautiful summer-days and weeks full of magic and bliss.
I feel huge transformations on so many levels – transitions, innovations, paradigm shifts and change. It is a time that asks for courage, for honesty, for vulnerability, for openness and trust – for leadership at its best.
It feels like a chance to “be the change you wanna see in the world”(Ghandi)
– provided that we are ready to work on ourselves first and to change internally.
I feel incredibly thankful to be invited to be part of that change. I feel connected and alive, subhanallah. Learning and growing together – What a gift, alhamdulillah. Wishing you a blessed beginning of summer, with plenty of place to be wholeheartedly who you are, to learn and to grow.
“Those of us who are willing to rumble with vulnerability, live into our values, build trust, and learn to reset, will not be threatened by the rise of AI/the machines, because we will be part of the rise of daring leaders. ” Brené Brown “Dare to lead”
I’ll go offline for a few days, inchaallah, Practicing I’tikaf at home – a retreat from regular life, to take advantage as much as possible from the sacred time of these last days of fasting …
wishing you all most blessed last days of Ramadan, “nia safiyaa” and may He shower you with His mercy and bounty for all and everything.
“And to Allah ˹alone˺ bows down in submission whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of living creatures, as do the angels—who are not too proud to do so.” (Qur’an 16:49)
We pray five times a day – in Ramadan even more (especially during the night. Each mandatory prayer takes about 5 minutes – a moment of devotion, inner contemplation, realignment and reassurance. If properly done, with the right intention and concentration, this is a moment of deep relaxation – a bit like meditation, even deeper. The movements are similar to Yoga’s “sun salutation”, but focused solely to our Creator.
We do it wherever we are. Outside on the naked ground, but normally on a little rug, a prayer mat. You can find them in a million of different styles, in each’s Muslims home, folded up in every room.
It is just a little piece of rug. My favorite one is beautifully weaved. I put it wherever I am, making sure to be clean (after the mandatory washing Wudu) and properly dressed. I put it to face the direction of Mecca and then the paryer begins “Allahu akbar! (God is the Greatest): 5 minutes of withdrawal from everyday life in the morning before sun rises, at noon, in the afternoon, at sunset and in the night.
These moments are not only prayer, invocation, obedience, expression of gratitude and devotion, they are as well meditation, purification, a moment of guidance and inspiration, of therapy and self-discovery, that gives new fuel and recharges our batteries. Subhan’allah, I love this little oasis of mine, full of peace adn blessings. This mobile and flexible place of comfort that allows me, at least five times a day, to make a clear statement, to mark off my private space and to have a little break wherever I am. Alhamdulillah.
“Observe the prayer from the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night and the dawn prayer, for certainly the dawn prayer is witnessed by angels. And rise at the last part of the night, offering additional prayers, so your Lord may raise you to a station of praise. And say, “My Lord! Grant me an honourable entrance and an honourable exit and give me a supporting authority from Yourself.” (Qur’an 17:78-80)
“And your Lord inspired the bees: “Make ˹your˺ homes in the mountains, the trees, and in what people construct,
and feed from ˹the flower of˺ any fruit ˹you please˺ and follow the ways your Lord has made easy for you.” From their bellies comes forth liquid of varying colours, in which there is healing for people. Surely in this is a sign for those who reflect.” (Qur’an Sura An-Nahl 16: 68,69)
A few days ago, a wild bee colony visited us and decided to stay. We keep already bees, but never so near on the campus. So off we are now, together with teachers and students, to beekeeping and learning more about these wonderful animals, subhanallah.
Spring is in full colour and there are signs of Allah’s magnificence and of the beauty of His creation everywhere.
Full moon is just over and half of the holy month of Ramadan as well. Mashaallah. Time to re-adjust, re-define and re-focus spiritual goals for the second half of the month and most important time of the year.
Inchaallah, may Allah bless you and yours, accept your intentions, fasting, prayers and good deeds. May He shower the worlds with His mercy, facilitate our goals and ease our burden. Ameen and salamou aleikoum.
