On Reading


What more does a man need than an isolated space in the favourite corner of his house and books to read? Can anything be more satisfying than sitting with a book in hand without a care of the world? Imagine a long wintry night and you are cosily tucked in bed, a soft fluffy quilt is covering you, the glow of the reading lamp is adding to the atmosphere of the room, and you have a book in hand…isn’t it something divine? And you are reading ever so slowly, savouring every word, not wanting to miss the magic of the moment. 

Reading is oxygen for the mind. Nothing refreshes the intellect more than a good spell of reading. When you pick up a book to read, you enter the world the writer has created. And every time you read a new book you enter a new world. Isn’t this amazing stuff? How can there ever be a dull moment in life when there is so much to read?      



A house without books is like the sky without stars. Books give the house a complete look. When you are in the presence of books you automatically get inspired. Your energy level climbs up and weariness vanishes. Reading is not an activity but a state of nirvana. You float in the world of imaginations and dreams and visions.



Reading takes you from nowhere to somewhere to everywhere. It opens up your mind to vistas never seen before, to ideas never imagined before, to dreams never seen before. When you read you are transformed and when you are transformed you are elevated and when you are elevated you are in a different zone and when you are in a different zone then you become one with the universe.

If you wish to experience heaven on earth, then surround yourself with books.



-          NZ

24.12.2019

BN: 214

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Mother named me Haider

My mother named me Haider so said Ali son of Abu Talib to Marhab when he said that his mother had named him Marhab. If only Marhab had recalled, at this juncture, what his mother would tell him when he was a child. ‘My son, you’ll be a great warrior. Your fame would spread throughout the Arab world. But keep in mind one thing. If in any battle you come face to face with a man named Haider, do not fight him. Just lay down your sword.’ If Marhab had paid heed to his mother’s advice, he wouldn’t have met the fate he met with in Khaiber. But he was high on ego; drunk on his strength and fame, he thought, how anyone could fight him. He was Marhab – how anyone could challenge his might? In every battle, Ali always introduced himself as Ali son of Abu Talib. But in Khaiber, he introduced himself as Haider because he was aware of what Marhab’s mother had told Marhab. This is sufficient evidence of Ali’s knowledge of the unknown. If in Khaiber Ali had introduced himself as Ali a...
Read more

The Lady in Red

Yesterday after my morning prayer, I went for my 30- minute walk. My wife did not accompany me because she preferred the warmth of the bed to the cold outside. Usually, she does. I did not take the path that I normally take every day. The road was deserted and not a soul was in sight. I walked briskly, determined to do a certain number of steps within the time that I had. It was dark and the wintry breeze was making me shiver. I thought of the cosiness of my bed and for a moment was tempted to abandon the walk and go back home. But commitment is commitment. So, I kept walking. When I reached the end of the walking trail, I turned left instead of right. I don’t know why I did it. I should have turned right because that’s where the walker’s path continues. On the left is an alley between two high-rise buildings. Before I could turn back, I spotted a lady smoking a cigarette. She was wearing a long, red gown and her lips were painted with blood-red lipstick. Her tired eyes had da...
Read more

Zaidis and Wastis

                                                         Many people believe that Zaidis and Wastis are two separate surnames. The truth is that it isn’t. Zaidis and Wastis hail from a place in Iraq called Wasit. Wasti is actually Wasiti but over time, it became Wasti. They are descended from the fourth Imam Ali bin Hussain, also known as Zain-ul-Abedin. His eldest son’s name was Zaid. Hence the name Zaidi. These people are Sayyeds meaning they can trace their ancestry to the Holy Prophet. In the 11 th century, Sayyid Abul Farah Al Hussaini Al Wasti (son of Syed Daud al Hussaini), came to India from Iraq, with his twelve sons, and most of the Zaidis and Wastis in India and Pakistan are their descendants. Let me clarify one point here. There are Zaidis who are not Wastis. They are those who believe that Zaid and not Mohammad Baqir ...
Read more