"Your aim is before you. Behind your back is the hour which is driving you on. Keep (yourself) light and overtake (the forward ones). Your last ones are being awaited by the front ones."
- Imam Ali (A.S.), Sermon 21, Nahjul Balagha (Peak of Eloquence)
My grandfather was right when he said, "Why do I need to go to the mosque to find God? I see God in the trees on the golf course." At the time, my eight year-old brain processed these utterances as mere excuses to avoid the throngs of people at the mosque in the heart of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Only now do I truly realize the profound truth in my grandfather's words, especially when I go on my runs. I, like most runners, am plugged into my MP3 player while flying or trudging along, but the melodious wisps floating through my earbuds are just background noise for my private conversations within myself and with God.
Running in itself is a very laborious and boring task, and accompanying music only soothes a little or may provide a little motivational spark. Some runners repeat personal mantras over and over again, while others rack their minds for a little bit of creative ingenuity to attack a problem they might be having. Yet others just clear their mind. For me, the sometimes physical monotony leads to a sort of spiritual cleansing. I ponder why I am here, and why in my right mind am I seeking to accomplish a goal my body was not built for? I get a little startled at my little epiphany and think I may be a little crazy, but just then I notice the flora and fauna surrounding me. I regularly encounter blue jays, cardinals, pigeons, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks on my morning runs. Just when the heat and humidity conspire to slow me down, I get a boost by seeing all the spectacular flowers in full bloom. And in my mind I ponder, yet again, why am I here? I may be running the marathon to perhaps prove to myself that I can push my body to the limit and accomplish something that I may not have thought possible before. Maybe it is something to cross off my bucket list. But perhaps, it is the journey to get to the starting line, and the trials and tribulations that I will encounter during the race itself, more important than the end reward. It is a journey that reveals that I am not doing this of my own volition and by myself, but there is something greater guiding me along, gently reminding me of His presence with all these wonderful signs, nature's beauty which I would not have paid attention to if I had not forsaken those few precious minutes of sleep to go running. God is truly a great running partner.
It is with these thoughts bouncing around in my head that I approach the spiritual angle of the marathon with excitement and anxiousness. I fondly remember my many snippets of exciting moments when I ran the Buffalo Half Marathon in May 2009, but one of my most poignant memories was my 8th or 9th mile through South Buffalo, just when exhaustion was starting to creep in. Outside a small church was a pair of balding friars in their simple brown habits. These men of God looked like they could use a few laps around their house of worship. What really boosted my flagging energy was the bright smiles on their faces and the words of encouragement they imparted to each and every runner. I high-fived them and continued on my merry way, revitalized. With these recollections still fresh in my mind, I cannot wait to experience Miles 4 and 5 on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. As Liz Robbins describes it in A Race Like No Other, it is a smorgasbord of various houses of worship, ranging from churches to synagogues to mosques. As Father Francisco Rodriguez eloquently puts it, "Runners are not doing this to win, but to finish. They are serving a higher purpose on this day."
Running in itself is a very laborious and boring task, and accompanying music only soothes a little or may provide a little motivational spark. Some runners repeat personal mantras over and over again, while others rack their minds for a little bit of creative ingenuity to attack a problem they might be having. Yet others just clear their mind. For me, the sometimes physical monotony leads to a sort of spiritual cleansing. I ponder why I am here, and why in my right mind am I seeking to accomplish a goal my body was not built for? I get a little startled at my little epiphany and think I may be a little crazy, but just then I notice the flora and fauna surrounding me. I regularly encounter blue jays, cardinals, pigeons, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks on my morning runs. Just when the heat and humidity conspire to slow me down, I get a boost by seeing all the spectacular flowers in full bloom. And in my mind I ponder, yet again, why am I here? I may be running the marathon to perhaps prove to myself that I can push my body to the limit and accomplish something that I may not have thought possible before. Maybe it is something to cross off my bucket list. But perhaps, it is the journey to get to the starting line, and the trials and tribulations that I will encounter during the race itself, more important than the end reward. It is a journey that reveals that I am not doing this of my own volition and by myself, but there is something greater guiding me along, gently reminding me of His presence with all these wonderful signs, nature's beauty which I would not have paid attention to if I had not forsaken those few precious minutes of sleep to go running. God is truly a great running partner.
It is with these thoughts bouncing around in my head that I approach the spiritual angle of the marathon with excitement and anxiousness. I fondly remember my many snippets of exciting moments when I ran the Buffalo Half Marathon in May 2009, but one of my most poignant memories was my 8th or 9th mile through South Buffalo, just when exhaustion was starting to creep in. Outside a small church was a pair of balding friars in their simple brown habits. These men of God looked like they could use a few laps around their house of worship. What really boosted my flagging energy was the bright smiles on their faces and the words of encouragement they imparted to each and every runner. I high-fived them and continued on my merry way, revitalized. With these recollections still fresh in my mind, I cannot wait to experience Miles 4 and 5 on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. As Liz Robbins describes it in A Race Like No Other, it is a smorgasbord of various houses of worship, ranging from churches to synagogues to mosques. As Father Francisco Rodriguez eloquently puts it, "Runners are not doing this to win, but to finish. They are serving a higher purpose on this day."
"We felt we were going out to bless the people running. But what started happening was we were blessed."
- Pastor Frank Haye, as quoted in Liz Robbins' A Race Like No Other
Random Statistics
Number of runs: 18
Total miles run: 83
Time run: 725 minutes (12 hours 5 minutes)
Longest run: 10.13 miles
Total miles run: 83
Time run: 725 minutes (12 hours 5 minutes)
Longest run: 10.13 miles
Well written, Jawaad.
ReplyDeleteI can only pray for your continued passion to run, with more observation of the surrounding. That is a form of worship.
A piece of word-work that i can relate to perfectly. Very well written!
ReplyDeleteThe lessons are all within us, and the igniting sparks all around us. May you keep running, deriving strength and lesson from the most monotonous and the most interesting!
I'm SO proud of you!
As i read your lines, i imagined myself running in your place, and the faces of those smiling friars gave me a very pleasant feeling!
ReplyDeleteyes.
What your Dada Bapa felt all those years ago was right, in that God could not be found only in the mosque, but that He is everywhere.
So in your wanderings, you are definitely NOT lost!
Dadabapa must be smiling down at you.....
Dido, once so many years ago you were runninng around your parents' bed with a small pillow, putting it down every once to put your head on it for a few seconds, before you wuld continue your seemingly aimless rounds, the most intent baby i have ever come across! So proving the fact that you believe runnning charges the thinking batteries you carry on...26 years since i saw you do that!
ReplyDeleteI pray your mental musings get you closer to Him in a mood lighter and freer...Ameen
Saeeda