Sunday, May 07, 2006
Pakistan Made Me Think: 2
Monday 6th March 2006
As I sit here awaiting the time for 'Ishraak' to approach -
a thought crosses my mind:
The concept of time.
Or rather how we have limited the concept of time to looking at the watches and clocks tick tock ticking away. We have almost forgotten time as a concept 'away' from hours, minutes and seconds.
The use of the days' events and natural phenomena such as light, shadow, darkness and what activity one has done in a given amount of time-space seem now to be non-valued pieces of knowledge. Nanny appears to be one of the remaining from her generation of men and women who tell the time without the use of a clock. The position of the sun in the sky and the stars allows her to construct a fine estimate of what time it is.
We read that "By time, man is in loss." We cannot reduce time to a 24-hour system that we have limited its use to.
The adhan is helping construct the day. But the days and nights seem to be very long. Amazing as we use the same clock but it feels as if we have been here for a month -
Perhaps because we have slowed right down? Perhaps because we no longer live in the rat-race of life? Don't know! But I think now may be time for Ishraak!
I haven't seen a clock (for) more than a few times for a time-check!!!
Back home I'd see the clock a few times an hour at least -
I think, yes - time for Ishraak.
..Perhaps 7am..?
I wrote this one morning. I woke for the Dawn (Fajr) prayer and thought I'd stay awake for Ishraak; a prayer performed shortly after the sun has risen. I was so confused as to how much time had lapsed since my prayer because the clock was not in the room we were occupying. I realised that time means very different things in different circumstances and reached for my Journal.
Please also read:
The Introduction / Background
Journal Entry 1
Why I went away
As I sit here awaiting the time for 'Ishraak' to approach -
a thought crosses my mind:
The concept of time.
Or rather how we have limited the concept of time to looking at the watches and clocks tick tock ticking away. We have almost forgotten time as a concept 'away' from hours, minutes and seconds.
The use of the days' events and natural phenomena such as light, shadow, darkness and what activity one has done in a given amount of time-space seem now to be non-valued pieces of knowledge. Nanny appears to be one of the remaining from her generation of men and women who tell the time without the use of a clock. The position of the sun in the sky and the stars allows her to construct a fine estimate of what time it is.
We read that "By time, man is in loss." We cannot reduce time to a 24-hour system that we have limited its use to.
The adhan is helping construct the day. But the days and nights seem to be very long. Amazing as we use the same clock but it feels as if we have been here for a month -
Perhaps because we have slowed right down? Perhaps because we no longer live in the rat-race of life? Don't know! But I think now may be time for Ishraak!
I haven't seen a clock (for) more than a few times for a time-check!!!
Back home I'd see the clock a few times an hour at least -
I think, yes - time for Ishraak.
..Perhaps 7am..?
I wrote this one morning. I woke for the Dawn (Fajr) prayer and thought I'd stay awake for Ishraak; a prayer performed shortly after the sun has risen. I was so confused as to how much time had lapsed since my prayer because the clock was not in the room we were occupying. I realised that time means very different things in different circumstances and reached for my Journal.
Please also read:
The Introduction / Background
Journal Entry 1
Why I went away
Comments:
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Time...
You know, I don't wear a watch anymore, I haven't for at least six months.
Alhamdulillah being at home over the last few weeks has been a blessing in some respects...I've relied on the Athan software from IslamicFinder to notify me of prayer times during the day and have relied on my phone for wakeup calls and for a few appointment reminders.
Getting back into the rat race though, I know I'll need to get back to being more time conscious; after all, if we have agreed to be somewhere at a specific time, we are comitted to fulfill this. http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=4551&CATE=34
But I'm sure you know that! :D
xxx
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You know, I don't wear a watch anymore, I haven't for at least six months.
Alhamdulillah being at home over the last few weeks has been a blessing in some respects...I've relied on the Athan software from IslamicFinder to notify me of prayer times during the day and have relied on my phone for wakeup calls and for a few appointment reminders.
Getting back into the rat race though, I know I'll need to get back to being more time conscious; after all, if we have agreed to be somewhere at a specific time, we are comitted to fulfill this. http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=4551&CATE=34
But I'm sure you know that! :D
xxx
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