#The Great Righteous Destroyer

[triste-guillotine]

STARGAZER "The Scream that tore the Sky" CD 2004 ('...They have awakened to cleanse and heal the spiraling worlds, claimed long forgotten ages ago. He spoke of nightmarish malice, but the beauty incomparable, these aliens brought this planet life, purifying in graceful slaughter')

"The bronze star of sin Cried in years amass blackened twine Light bane Steroid driven glimpse Intense millenium

Alien pulse riding the skies

Marred by the tranquil Yield to the endless swamp Fit for mystic mules The waking is yore

The sullen diamond masks Mirage despoling the madness In which we will be Ultimately consumed

Mirage Despoling the madness..."

The Scream That Tore The Sky | Stargazer (bandcamp.com)

[torchwood-99]

These three quotes, from Eowyn, Tolkien and Faramir always interested me, in how much they align with each other.

I think the discussion about Eowyn being a warrior and giving up dreams of battle after the war, and whether or not this is a sexist development (suggesting she was wrong for defying gender roles and going to battle when forbidden), hinge too much on whether Eowyn was "right when she wanted to go to battle" or "wrong when she wanted to go to battle, and right when she gave it up."

But these three quotes I think paint a different image. All three quotes affirm that when a "foe breeds a war", when it is a time of "crisis", when lives must be protected against a "destroyer who would devour us all", there needs to be resistance, there needs to be war. But that war is only righteous in its defence of others.

When the threat of Mordor demanded a defence, it was a choice between war and obliteration. And with such danger on her doorstep, Eowyn needed to be able to fight. Her temperament, her spirit, her valour demanded, it of her. She needed to directly confront and take down the threat to her and her people, or else be driven to despair in her waiting.

This was compounded by the glorification of death in battle among her people, and the fact only warriors were remembered after their deaths. Add into that although Eowyn was "not a dry nurse by temper", that was the civilian role assigned to her, and the only escape from that seemed to battle, and death in battle. In the end, the waiting, the helplessness, the feeling of degradation, of being set aside and relegated to dry nurse, of feeling caged, fed on by Grima's manipulations, drove her to despair, and when she rode to battle, she didn't want to ride out of it alive.

These factors all played a part, but it all stems from the fact that when she needed to fight, she was denied the chance. Her people were in a time of "crisis", and Eowyn needed to put that "great military gallantry" to use.

Her talk with the Warden in which she reveals her eagerness for battle seems at first in opposition to Faramir's speech, when he treats war as a necessary evil, and violence only good for protecting others, and yet the sentiments are very similar. Both recognise the need to fight when a threat is upon them, both place the value of war on its role in defending others.

It's just that Faramir is sceptical, coming from a position of having battle thrust on his shoulders, of being expected to fit into a mindset of war being something glorious and grand, of being forced to fight by duty and necessity, while Eowyn is glorifying battle and death in battle, for she is coming from a position of knowing the strain of being forced not to fight.

It's interesting here that it's clarified that Eowyn's heart didn't change as much as that she understood it better. This suggests that Eowyn wasn't wrong. She was right, war had to be fought when Mordor proved a threat. And she, with her "great military gallantry", had a part to play in that fight.

But her desperation to be able to fight, long denied, drove her to to a point of despair, where fighting but surviving was no longer a desire.

Eowyn's philosophy at heart was correct. "War it must be", and "it takes but one foe to breed a war", but suffering and frustration caused her to focus less on the reason why war needed to be fought, and more on the idea that war would liberate her from the cage that was her life.

Her choosing life, and healing, now they were in a time of peace, in a time where healing was needed now that the war was over, seems to be her remembering what she wanted to fight for in the first place. It was her understanding her heart, understanding her motives. Fighting so that peace could follow.

So was Eowyn wrong for wanting to go to battle, or was Eowyn wrong for giving battle up?

Neither. Eowyn was right that battles had to be fought, and right that she had a right to fight for her people as much as her brother and male peers did. True, somebody needed to stay behind and manage the home front, but it was unjust to demand it was always her. And she, with her "great military gallantry", had every right to fight the enemy directly.

Eowyn was also right, after the war had ended, to make healing (whether metaphorical or literal) the goal of her life, because war is only good when it's in defence of others. It's not a good in its own sake. And when war could be avoided, it is best to do so.

[blackknight-100]

More Apollo fic excerpts for you all, because I'm on a roll:

Looking at Father is hard. Apollo has learnt this early on, but Apollo is also either incorrigibly foolish, or insurmountably stubborn. Either way, he tries and tries and tries; the truth is his, and he will look into the King's eyes while he gets it.

Lightning crackles around Zeus's lashes, fine white scars upon his dark skin. He sighs unhappily, and somewhere around Cretan Ida, rain-black clouds are blown away. "Why do you ask that, child?"

"Hekate thinks it is unjust."

"Did she say that to you?"

"No."

Apollo does not mention that she said that to his sister and his mother, because that was not what Father asked. He does not speak of her grief either - the King is a forge of hot power thrumming with ill-supressed rage, a rush of deadly cloudstrike and bitter ozone under his tongue - and Apollo is... apprehensive, if not afraid.

Zeus sighs again. The rain clouds return, and drought is averted. His beard droops, and the riot of spiked hair curls into itself. "It is fate," he says. "There had to be a safe place for you to be born."

"And fate is greater than justice, then?"

"You know the Fates. You know Fate is greater than everything."

Apollo says nothing. In the following silence, father and son stare at each other, picking away at the other's minds.

As always, Father breaks first. "I could not lose you," he says. "You are to be a great god."

Perhaps Apollo should be kinder, perhaps Apollo should be blind. But he is not. Here too the Fates are unfair - he can see Ares' quiet pain, he can see Hera's righteous rage. And his memory is terrible in its divinity - a hundred thousand words of fatherly love will not wipe away all those days of his mother's tears.

Or perhaps it is not fatherly love at all. Apollo is to be a great god, a mighty cog in the automaton that is Fate, and like Hephaestus, Zeus its builder cares little for who the cogs are, or where they come from. They must only exist.

Or perhaps it is just him - Apollo, the Destroyer. Under his hands is the ruin of a hundred women, and then some more, and Hekate is one notch among many others. Perhaps Apollo blames fruitlessly, for it is his father who chased his aunt, and his birth that holds her down. Perhaps his father loves them - him and Artemis and Mother Leto, and has only sought to turn fate in their favour through his ruthlessness. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. So many chances, so many answers.

Apollo looks at Father, and does not believe even one.

"I see," he says. "Thank you for your time, Your Majesty."

Zeus-King frowns. He holds out a hand as if to call out, then drops it and turns away. "You may leave," he says, and Apollo does.

[luddic-butch]

I finally put together a Path compliant fleet that can handle 1 and 1/2 Ordos without severe losses. Which I think is as good as its going to get.

The Prometheus Mk 2 is the star of the show. I started this run mostly because I liked the way this ship looked and wanted to make it work. Autogenerated LP Fleets appear with laser equipped Sunders, which is why I'm allowing myself to use things like the High Intensity Laser and the Monitor. The Prom2 is a very fast capital ship (for low tech, anyway) equipped with a burn drive. I used three of these to establish combat zones and act as anchors for my hounds (not the ship).

Here's the primary hound. While the Prom is the star of the show the LP Manticore certainly wins best supporting actor. These things can put an insane amount of pressure on a single location very fast. They're great for harassing the enemy flank and picking off high value Destroyers.

I typically paired the Manticores with Eradicator (P)s. Continuing the aggressive hunting dog theory behind this fleet these quick cruisers burn to the flanks and tease apart the enemy formation.

While the combat ships encourage the enemy fleet ball to break itself into its component parts this little fella just waltzes right towards the most powerful capital ships in the area. The Monitor is superb for drawing fire and holding enemy attention while the rest of my fleet secures map control.

I love this set up. It feels very fast and very effective. When I had to face down particularly nasty stations I brought along an XIV Onslaught or an Invictus. Outside of that though, this compostiion has stayed with me for the entire game.

May the Path you tread be Righteous!

[monstersdownthepath]

Lord of Heresy and Despair: Sifkesh, the Sacred Whore

CR 28

Chaotic Evil Medium Outsider

Adventure Path: Wrath of the Righteous: Demon's Heresy, pg. 86-87

WARNING: In addition to despair and heresy, Sifkesh is also the Demon Lord of Suicide. I bring this up because it is reflected in her kit, her lore, and especially in her Divine Obedience and Boons. It is impossible to discuss her stats without mentioning this part of her portfolio. Do not read into her if you are especially sensitive to such subjects.

Among the strangest and most enigmatic of all Demon Lords, it's believed that Sifkesh was once a powerful Erinyes Devil that turned her back on Hell and became one of of the first of the devils to betray Asmodeus. Her two largest lore blocks (in the Complete Book of the Damned and the above-mentioned pages in WotR) are frustratingly vague thanks to the complexity of both her statblock and her Boons taking up the majority of each source, but it paints a gruesome enough picture of this fiend: A great many Demon Lords are gluttonous, or greedy, or heretical, but Sifkesh is on an entirely different level. She does not just embrace heresy, she is heresy in every aspect of her being, so thoroughly that she's heretical to cosmic order... and even the game's mechanics.

I say 'heretical to the cosmic order' because the Sacred Whore isn't just a Demon Lord in her behavior; she destroys like a demon and especially prizes destroying faiths and places of worship (regardless of alignment), but she plots and corrupts like a devil, misleading mortals and poisoning their faith and hope though lies and false guidance with the ultimate goal of weakening the faith's standing in the eyes of the public, if not destroying it entirely. She can spend patient years molding powerful and influential men and women of the cloth into perfect servants of hers, weaving heresies and blasphemies into their beliefs until something--typically another person of equal standing in the same faith--causes the scales to fall from their eyes. By then, though, it's far too late; their souls are too stained to join the god they believed they were serving in the afterlife, and in horrified despair they're driven to take their own lives... at which point Sifkesh seizes their soul and consumes it, denying their soul to any afterlife, even her own.

Demon, devil, daemon--destroyer, corruptor, devourer. Sifkesh plays as all three in equal measure... making her and her minions a very flexible BBEG in a campaign where religious horror and corruption is the main threat. Direct worship of Sifkesh is noted to be 'incredibly personal' for reasons only grimly alluded to, and as such her "cults" tend to consist of 2 or 3 individuals infiltrating larger cults and withering them from within... even other evil cults. The Sacred Whore doesn't play favorites, and even her fellow Demon Lords aren't immune to her antics.

But enough about the havoc she wreaks in the mortal world, let's see what she can do once you pull back the curtains and engage her directly...

In contrast to the other feminine demons we've seen stated out so far, Sifkesh isn't a seductive manipulator who seeks to avoid combat and, if combat is inevitable, becomes an obnoxious ranged/DoT fighter! Instead she's an overt manipulator, using Suggestion at-will to command everyone around her to make her job easier. She's even got the Quickened version 3/day to gently convince people to throw their weapons and shields inside so she can more easily peel them apart with her hideous razor and sharpened claws, and if she's especially impatient, there's Quickened Dominate Person at 3/day to simply seize control of anyone who fails a DC 28 Will save.

These aren't the only notables among her spell-likes, though; Symbol of Strife is unlikely to work on players powerful enough to encounter her but does wonders for turning their summons on their masters and twisting lower-level NPCs to madness, and though she has it only 1/day the DM can easily handwave multiple onto her chosen battlefield if she's seen the players coming (and she likely will, given how subtle her work usually is; it gives her plenty of time to know who's interrupting her plots). Once active, the Symbol will radiate waves of hatred out until their duration expires or they've affected a combined total 150 HP of creatures, meaning that anyone who's dropped below that threshold by, say, Sifkesh's Full-Attack, becomes vulnerable to turning on their friends.

Which typically means "after one round of attacks."

While the aforementioned lady demons weren't as powerful in melee as they were at a range, Sifkesh shows them up by being equally strong in both. Her weapon of choice, a +5 Unholy Speed War Razor, deals 1d4+27 damage (+2d6 vs Good targets) with every strike (5 a round thanks to the Speed enchantment), and during a Full-Attack she can also choose to swipe once with her sword-length claws for 4d6+27 damage as well. Her claws also cause hideous, rending scars in the victim's body and soul, forcing them to make a DC 41 Will save or become afflicted by 1d4 Charisma drain. Even success on the save causes sickness for 1 round, but failing enough times in a row has an even worse punishment: being reduced to 3 or less Charisma curses the victim with self-destructive depression, which causes them to automatically fail ALL saves against Sifkesh's spell-like AND supernatural abilities until the drain is healed. Suddenly, her Quickened Dominate Person goes from threatening to battle-warping, and her 1/day Weird goes from a nuisance to a party wipe.

How's it a party wipe, you may ask? Because she can use Whirlwind Attack to slash the entire party at once with her claw and then see who's the most miserable afterwards and focus them down until they're rendered catatonic by the damage or the drain. She's resilient enough to be patient and make sure she can get everyone who's a major threat with a single casting. "But wait," I hear you say, "she's Medium! She has a 5ft reach, so all we need to do is--"

Be 40 or more feet away. You may notice that Sifkesh's limbs aren't actually sticking to her! Her Detached Limbs simply float near her body for the sake of convenience, and while this makes her immune to any effect that would sever her limbs or head, the more important part is that she can launch her limbs out and rapidly retract them as she attacks, giving her a 30 foot melee reach. Heretical to the game's rules, remember? She has an enormous threat radius for a Medium creature and she can easily take advantage of the fact the players might not realize just how far she can slap them from by using Combat Expertise for extra AoOs, draining Charisma from people trying to get into position or cast spells even when it's not her turn and using Whirlwind Attack to deliver a single massive cleaving claw attack when it is. Her claw's massive damage, reach, and Charisma drain also makes her Spring Attack more obnoxious, though with her 120ft fly speed, a DM wanting to up her potential annoyance factor could swap Spring Attack for Flyby Attack.

Despite using a lightweight finesse weapon Sifkesh has no Sneak Attack damage, so she doesn't get as much use as, say, Shax and Nocticula do from Time Stop + Summon Demons, and she's certainly no Shamira or Kostchtchie when it comes to setting up shenanigans during stopped time, typically delegating it to either an escape or an engage tool, plopping herself in the middle of a party so her whirlwind of limbs can peel them apart. Despite her leather duds, Sifkesh is significantly harder to hurt than almost any other demigod of similar status; she not only has the Demigod Suite of immunities (death, charm/compulsion, petrification, energy drain), but one very special and specific immunity that is likely to make at least one person in the party froth at the mouth with rage: Complete immunity to slashing weapons.

Her body breaks open and folds around any incoming slashing weapons, negating their damage AND abilities entirely. No swords, no axes, no sickles and scythes, and certainly no using her own weapons against her. And adding onto the 'heretical vs game rules' is the second half of her protection against weapons: Sifkesh absorbs critical hits from any source, be it a weapon or spell. Her Critical Healing restores HP equal to the extra damage she would have taken from any critical hit, so the higher your weapons' crit modifier, the more healing she gets from this ability. Maybe it's a good thing that scythes can't critically hit her...? Slashing weapons don't work at all, and piercing weapons tend to rely on their critical ratio/modifier, which means you can end up healing her more than hurting her... which just leaves the humble bludgeoning instruments. Greatclub gang rise up! Provided that bludgeoning weapon can bypass her DR 20/Cold Iron, Epic, and Good.

The good news is that at least Sneak Attack still works on her!

But here's more bad news: the indirect resilience granted to her by her Despairing Cry making her even more infuriating to harm! This is a swift action she can take once ever 1d4 rounds to fill everyone within 60ft with unrelenting despair. Any creature that succeeds a DC 38 Will save is sickened for 1d4 rounds, but anyone who fails is slapped with 24 entire hours of hopelessness, instilling a -6 penalty to attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, ability checks, AND skill checks. Anyone under the effects of the Despairing Cry has any immunity to fear suppressed (making them vulnerable to, among other things, her Frightful Presence and Weird) can also be convinced via Suggestion, Charm effects, or Dominate effects to take suicidal actions without penalty or the ability to resist the impulse, potentially saving her time by convincing party members to do themselves in for her.

There is, of course, even further heresy against the rules of the game, but before we cover that final part of her kit, her literally Heretical nature bolsters her Spell Resistance from 39 to 41 whenever she's targeted by Divine magic, and boosts her saves from 30/33/30 to 32/35/32 against such spells as well. Any Divine caster that touches her (like literally any one of them trying to use a powerful Domain ability or touch spell) also risks becoming nauseated, leaving them open for her retaliatory Full-Attack, shutting off yet another common angle of attack.

One of the most resilient of all Demon Lords, Sifkesh has counters for almost every vector an average party can come up with, necessitating some extremely specific weapons, spells, and playstyles. Have you ever tried fighting an enemy you didn't want to critically strike? But do you want to know the most frustrating part about all of it? You might have to do it all twice, because once per day as an immediate action, Sifkesh can drop all her defenses against an incoming attack or spell, becoming flat-footed and losing her profane bonus to her AC. Her Spell Resistance drops to 0, and she automatically fails any saving throw she makes against that attack or spell.

As you may be able to guess, it's a trick. But it's one you have no choice but to walk into, because she can trigger this ritualistic Suicide as an immediate action against anything she has reason to believe may be able to kill her. If the attack DOES kill her, not only does she unleash an empowered version of her Despairing Cry (which stuns anyone who fails the save for 1d4 rounds), but one round later she's brought back to life at full health, making her the only Demon Lord that has to be killed three times in one year to make her death stick. Perhaps this is why, despite her behavior flaunting the very rules of reality and with her gleefully corrupting even the cults of other Demon Lords, she has yet to be ousted as the Lord of Heresy.

You can read more about her here.

[tanoraqui]

marriage of convenience + gothic for el/orion, please!

[give me 1-3 tropes + 2-3 characters!]

(the gothicness comes from the whole environment of the school ok)

War came to the Scholomance the year Galadriel Higgins and Orion Lake were Inducted. Oh, it took a while to warm up—everyone had to get settled into their torments of classwork and survival. But there were two new monsters in the school, each worse than Patience and Fortitude combined, from diametrically opposed worlds with diametrically opposed destinies. War was inevitable.

By their junior year, the bloody conflict had settled, and the battlegrounds mostly returned to neutral territory. The defensive spell that blocked all but Enclavers from entering the alchemy lab was fully taken down, the petrification traps that activated only against Enclavers were removed from the library stacks. All cafeteria doors were left unguarded except, of course, against maleficaria.

There were so many maleficaria, and they were so hungry. Despite the active war broken out between the haves and the have-nots, between Orion Lake’s ceaseless heroism and El Higgins’ savage determination to look after every person who turned to the Dark Queen for protection, more students were still alive than in any year on record, in every class.

They didn’t have mana or even malia to waste blockading each other from classrooms, study materials and food anymore.

So the righteous, noble students of the Enclaves, led by their silver-haired hero with his shining sword (wrong, he was so wrong inside, twisted and hungry; couldn’t they see past their own greed) and the stubborn, righteous students of the exiles, led by their destined destroyer of worlds (who never once cheated for power, not once; all the great and terrible spells she cast to keep them safe were with power given freely)—briefly, for the first time, they not just called a truce but actually allied, to fix the mechanism, burn the school, and set the graduating class free.

The next year started… Well. They had energy to spare again. But they’d worked together. (Orion had saved dozens of her people, maybe hundreds by now, just as easily as he saved his own, and never demanded anything for it. El’s mother’s message scrolled before her eyes, but she wondered…) (El was so rude to him, all the time. When he’d saved her life, when he’d tried to kill her once or twice—she was never scared, she was never admiring, she was just rude. Like people were rude to…other people. Never to Orion, before.)

Magnus said they should attack while the witch-queen was recovering from the battle in the graduation hall and busy trying to recruit as many freshmen as possible. Liu grimaced and said they should attack while the Enclavers were recovering from the battle in the graduation hall and settling in their excess number of freshmen (the graduating seniors has told their parents what was happening in the school, and some had reacted fast enough to cut local non-Enclavers from Induction.)

Liesel said, “El, if you really don’t want this conflict to spill over into the rest of the world, we have to stop it in here, decisively. You’ve heard what the freshmen are saying—Shanghai is halfway to co-opting the movement, if they don’t flip and side with the Western enclaves instead. An unknown malificer destroyed Bangkok, and people are dying in the hunt for them… The second you and Orion graduate, it’s going to be war out there, one way or another.”

“What do you suggest?” El snapped. “Other than killing him. I’m not killing him, I’m not killing anyone.”

“I know you’re not,” Liesel said, which what she, personally, felt was infinite patience. “I think you and Lake should get publicly married—or, technically, engaged, since as far as I’m aware, nobody in here is an accredited justice of the peace.”

[brumeraven]

??: The Button || burnout, disability, decay, existential despair, expectations, gods, reflections, oww oww oww

When I was made, I was given purpose by the gods.

Press the button.

One, pure commandment to live by. What could be more simple than that?

My hours were spent in righteous communion with the divine, following their vision, pushing it over and over again, as commanded.

And a paragon I became, the envy of all others who labored at the same. For I was tall and the button was within easy reach. To press it was only natural. Trivial even, a matter of routine so simple it required neither effort nor thought, none beyond that I was made for this.

Those shorter than I labored at it, struggled with stepstools and tiptoes, leaps and pulleys, bemoaning the difficulty of the task to which my very being was perfectly suited.

Most of them failed, sooner or later. Most of them gave up in laziness, frustration, pain.

So they made excuses. They found their own reasons for existence, looked instead to the earthly and profane for purpose, unable to meet the standards the gods had set them.

I pitied them, pitied their hollow joy, the fleeting meaninglessness of their lives.

And then I changed.

So slowly it was imperceptible at first.

Now, my back is bent and crooked.

Now, my knees creak and refuse to straighten.

The button that once was so easy is now reachable only with pain and difficulty.

Now, I grow weary when I try to reach for it.

Now, my thoughts scatter when I must focus on it.

Now, I question the point of pressing the button at all.

Now, I weep knowing that the gods have forsaken me.

I weep that time, the great destroyer, has rent my body and mind.

I weep that I am unlike the others, that I was never forced to make peace with my mortal fallibility.

And still I wonder what it is that I was made for.

~??

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Selfishness of the Unfriendly

1 He that separateth himself seeketh [his] pleasure, he is vehement against all sound wisdom.

2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but only that his heart may reveal itself.

3 When the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.

4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, [and] the fountain of wisdom is a gushing brook.

5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to wrong the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for stripes.

7 A fool's mouth is destruction to him, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

8 The words of a talebearer are as dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

9 He also who is indolent in his work is brother of the destroyer.

10 The name of Jehovah is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own imagination.

12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; and before honour [goeth] humility.

13 He that giveth answer before he heareth, it is folly and shame unto him.

14 The spirit of a man sustaineth his infirmity; but a broken spirit who can bear?

15 The heart of an intelligent [man] getteth knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

17 He that is first in his own cause [seemeth] just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.

19 A brother offended is [harder to be won] than a strong city; and contentions are as the bars of a palace.

20 A man's belly is satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; with the increase of his lips is he satisfied.

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

22 Whoso hath found a wife hath found a good thing, and hath obtained favour from Jehovah.

23 He that is poor speaketh with supplications, but the rich answereth roughly.

24 A man of [many] friends will come to ruin but there is a friend [that] sticketh closer than a brother. — Proverbs 18 | 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY) The Darby Translation of the Holy Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 2:18; Genesis 32:20; Exodus 3:15; Exodus 23:2; Leviticus 19:16; 1 Samuel 17:28; Psalm 64:8; Psalm 109:22; Proverbs 3:21; Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 10:11; Proverbs 10:15; Proverbs 11:2; Proverbs 12:14; Proverbs 12:23; Proverbs 16:33; Proverbs 19:29; Matthew 12:37; John 7:51; John 15:14-15; Ephesians 1:17; James 2:3; James 2:6

[hiswordsarekisses]

I've heard the following verse many times, but only this portion of it and only in the context that we have been victims of circumstance or someone else's oppression towards us and God will one day vindicate our suffering…

"I will restore to you the years the locust have eaten." — Joel 2:25

That's not what this verse means.

It's not even the whole verse.

Joel is speaking to a sinful and rebellious Israel.

He starts by describing the darkness and suffering they're experiencing because of their own turning against God.

He urges them to repent.

Joel urges the Israelites to return to God, to assemble "even the nursing babies" and consecrate themselves to God, and to weep and ask forgiveness.

He says that then, the Lord will have "pity" on them. God will bring them early rain, wine and oil, and in verse 25, he says, "I will restore to you the years the locus have eaten — the hopper, the destroyer, the cutter, my great army, WHICH I SENT AMONGST YOU."

The Israelite's suffering and the destruction in their lives was directly a (just, righteous, and deserved) punishment on their lives from God as a punishment of their sins.

In other words, the Israelites brought their suffering upon themselves by their rebellion and they were experiencing the just consequences of their behavior. They weren't victims, they were sinners.

BUT GOD.

God takes pity on the sinner. He promised that he wouldn't just stop the locust from inflicting any further damage if the Israelites repented — he would UNDO the past consequences of their sin and would RESTORE to them the years eaten by the locust.

They deserved these

consequences and yet, God loves his people so much, he'd fix all the havoc they wreaked in their rebellion and would bless them in abundance.

It isn't popular to talk about a God who disciplines and punishes sin.

It isn't popular to think that we may be the cause of our own suffering.

We want to be victims seeking vindication.

But at the heart of the gospel story is the fact that we need to be rescued from God's wrath because of ourselves.

Because of OUR sin, rebellion, and foolishness.

How amazing that we have a God who not only rescues us from death and destruction, but He fixes the messes we make!

He takes pity on us and gives us a harvest of blessing and abundance where we've sowed sin and foolishness.

We serve a God who not only rescues — He also restores

And the Lord does exactly that.

~ @ItsKellyDiane

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Fortunato Durutti Marinetti

Beginning with 2020’s Desire, a self-released cassette, Toronto-based, Turin-born Daniel Colussi, has explored his “poetic jazz rock” (Colussi’s own apt coinage) across three releases under the moniker Fortunato Durutti Marinetti. The instrumentals flow and waver: now flashes of synthesizer keys or strings; now an inquisitive, lightly warped guitar line — the music floats then jumps but never rushes. His vocals — and lyrics — recall stated 1970s influences like Lou Reed or a spoken-word Robert Wyatt, but also Leonard Cohen or, more contemporarily, Destroyer’s Dan Bejar. Alex Johnson found Colussi’s latest release, Eight Waves In Search Of An Ocean, “engrossing — although not always comfortably…a record that rewards the delayering effect of multiple listens.”

Gary Zhexi Zhang — “The Tourist”

Zhang’s documentary ostensibly tells the story of Ali Sultan Issa, who led Zanzibar’s independence from Britain in 1963. Issa is a totally fascinating and complicated Zelig-like figure who seemed to be present for every revolutionary moment in the middle of the century. He hung out with Castro, Mao and also the CIA. I can’t believe how effectively and delicately Zhang is able to tell what a massive story about empire is — de-colonization, the optimism of mid-twentieth century socialist movements and the brutal 80s neoliberal response. This film also introduced me to the song “Super Snooper”by 1970s Italo disco crew La Bionda.

Annette Peacock — Unsung Heroine

A 12-minute doc on Annette Peacock circa 2000, as she recorded with a string quartet in Oslo for ECM. It’s not the most celebrated era of her career, but An Acrobat’s Heart is an interesting album of smoldering baroque torch songs. There’s great-to-see footage of her walking around Oslo in leather pants and also, it’s great to hear her speaking voice, which has that classic US drawl of an artist who’s lived through decades of chaos.

DJ Voices — Hemlock Nights @ Honcho Campout 2023

When NYC’s DJ Voices came to Toronto last summer my crew and I danced our asses off all night long. It was a good night and I’m glad it happened.

Lou Sheppard with Pamela Hart — Rights Of Passage

A beautiful, smart record that uses the metaphor of a river’s legal right to flow (riparian rights) to talk about property vs. public space, control of and access to resources and forms of enclosure. The record is also about queerness, and how queerness is or is not permitted to exist within particular defined spaces. This record is technically a sister artifact to Lou’s video/sound installation at the Art Gallery of York University, but it works totally well on its own as a gorgeous LP.

Ed Gray — Different Drummer : Elvin Jones

1979 documentary on Elvin Jones — a weird period for him. I think like most people, I know him primarily through his 1960s albums with John Coltrane. This doc has beautiful footage of Elvin hanging out with his family in the backyard as well as him in the studio describing his relationship to the cymbals in terms of different colors — chromesthesia. I also like his sleazy late 70s style — white leather loafers, a mesh shirt and a cigarette dangling as he absolutely shreds on his kit.

Elvis Presley — Unchained Melody (Rapid City June 21, 1977)

An insane document of Elvis in the very final throes of his imperial era. His banter is barely intelligible. Coca Cola cups scattered everywhere. Everyone in the band is sweaty and hairy. Wide bellbottoms all around. A middle-aged stagehand (who Elvis refers to as “son”) awkwardly holds the mic up to Elvis. Rising out of all this confusion, Elvis begins an extremely personal rendition of this Righteous Brothers song. There are pregnant pauses, as if he loses his place in the song, and there is no consistent tempo until the band kicks in, at which point all of Rapid City levitates into outer space. And two months later, Elvis was dead.

The Invisible Committee — The Coming Insurrection

In his Dusted review of my album, Alex Johnson singled out the words and language in my song “Smash Your Head Against The Wall.” When I think back to writing that song, I think of reading The Invisible Committee’s The Coming Insurrection. Their language is totally polemic and fiery and outrageous, but purposely and with intent. Oftentimes they’re playing with that caricatured idea of “the radical left.” Not everyone appreciates this approach: apparently it freaked out US neocon broadcaster Glenn Beck enough that he warned his followers about this book’s evil. My copy has many underlined passages that I return to again and again for guidance and inspiration.

Bruford — Back To The Beginning (Rock Goes To College, March 17th, 1979)

Annette Peacock’s second appearance on this list — too much? In this performance she casually strolls into the Bruford zone to provide some female levity to this otherwise brutally nervous and sweaty prog rock crew. There’s a strong argument that this song sucks because it suffers from that thing of prog/jazz virtuosos trying to play basic heavy rock and failing because they’re too good. But I think it’s awesome, especially when Annette lets her raincoat theatrically drop to the floor to indicate that she has officially assumed control of the proceedings.

Joni Mitchell — In France They Kiss On Main Street (Santa Barbara Bowl, 1979)

I like this era because it captures Joni just as she’s really alienating the majority of her audience by desecrating her folk-rock legacy via fully embracing smoothed out jazz fusion tones. She’s playing with a squad of absolute rippers: Metheny, Pastorius, Lyle Mays, Michael Brecker and Don Alias. Everyone is at the top of their game; everyone is in the zone. I like this ferocious live version of this song better than the studio version.

Tindersticks — The Ballad of Tindersticks (2 Meter Sessions, June 7, 1997)

For me Tindersticks are a deep well of inspiration, to which I can continually return for sustenance, guidance and nourishing refreshment. I love it all: the early baroque albums, the mid period soul albums, the soundtracks, the solo records. I think their last record was phenomenal. They are masters of subtly adjusting their songwriting as a way of unlocking vast new territories to explore. They make it all their own. I pick this particular clip because I like how the entire band is sweating profusely.

[beloved-31-proverbs-women]

Stay prayed up!

Daily Prayer Covering

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray this prayer in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I bind, rebuke and bring to no effect; all division, discord, disunity, strife, wrath, murder, criticism, condemnation, pride, envy, jealously, gossip, slander, evil speaking, complaining, lying, false teaching, false gifts, false manifestations, lying signs and wonders, poverty, fear of lack,

fear spirits, deceiving spirits, religious spirits, hindering spirits,

retaliatory spirits, occult spirits, witchcraft spirits (including Jezebel,

Delilah, and Apollyon the Destroyer), spirits of antichrist and all familiar and

territorial spirits.

I bind all curses that have been spoken against me. I bless those who curse

me, and pray blessings on those who despitefully use me. I bind all spoken

judgments made against me, and judgments I have made against others. I bind the power of negative words from others, and I bind and render useless all prayers not inspired by the Holy Spirit; whether psychic, soul force, witchcraft,

or counterfeit tongues that have been prayed against me.

I am God's child. I resist the devil. No weapon formed against me shall prosper.

I put on the whole armor of God. I take authority over this day, in Jesus name.

Let it be prosperous for me, and let me walk in your love, Lord.

The Holy Spirit leads and guides me today and fills me with all needed gifting and

graces. I discern between the righteous and the wicked. I take authority over

Satan and all his demons, and those people who are influenced by them. I declare

Satan is under my feet and shall remain there all day.

I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am God's property. Satan, you

are bound from my family, my mind, my body, my home, and my finances. I confess

that I am healed and whole. I flourish, am long lived, stable, durable,

incorruptible, fruitful, virtuous, full of peace, patience and love. Whatsoever

I set my hands to do shall prosper for God supplies all my needs. I have all

authority over Satan, all demons, and beasts of the field.

God, I pray for the ministry You have for me. Anoint me God for all you have

called me to do for You. I call forth divine appointments, open doors of

opportunity; God ordained encounters and ministry positions.

I claim a hedge of protection, by the Precious Blood of Jesus, around myself,

spouse and children (names), throughout this day and night. I ask You God, in

the name of Jesus, to dispatch angels to surround me, my spouse, my children,

godchildren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, today and everyday, and to

put them throughout my house and around our cars, souls and bodies. I call on

Your holy angels to protect my house from any intrusion and to protect me and my

family from any harmful demonic or other physical or mental attacks. I ask all

of this in the name of Jesus.

"God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my

courage is the Lord, and He has been my Savior" (Isaiah 12:2).

Amen.

The Daily Prayer Covering has been around for many years. I’ve been praying it for 25+ years. I am unsure of the author. It’s obviously packed with scriptural reference and Holy Spirit anointed. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and make His face to shine upon you, may you walk in His peace today.

In His Amazing Love,

Beauty for Ashes-Hope and Healing in Jesus Christ

[triste-guillotine]

STARGAZER “Harbringer” CD 2000 (The mystical debut MCD recorded by Adelaide’s Black-Death Metal magicians StarGazer, originally released as a Split CD with Invocation)

1. Conquer/ Perennial Fire 2. Totalitarian Wormholes 3. Lust in Pyramis 4. Conspirator's Wind 5. Interrestrial Black Twilights 6. Abstract Flames Burn White 7. Outro

The Serpent Inquisitor : Guitar, Vocals The Great Righteous Destroyer : Bass, Vocals Phoenix Chrysalis : Drums Recorded and mixed during September 1999

https://stargazeraustralia.bandcamp.com/album/harbringer

[maddyaddy]

Xenos of the Mavor Sub-Sector

Excerpted from the Sage Bede's "The Mavor Sub-Sector". Of note, the Aeldari Wild Riders of Saim-Hann oft assault the Emperor’s flock in Mavor. Despite the attempts of the Fennian Fianna, and later, the august Greymanes to dissuade them of this foolish course of action, they continue it incessantly. Such raids are joined by the Black Riders, a highly mobile band of Eldar Corsairs. Of the latter, some whisper that certain sub-sector governors – including those of Avidya and Tir Ablach – have made use of them as mercenaries. Such a thing is treason most foul, but has never been proven.

The Ork, as with seemingly everywhere in our great Imperium, also has a presence here. For the Greenskins, the Sappas warband, led by the Warboss Skoolkrakka, are the paramount force. In the Sappas, virtually every Mob is mechanized, and Wagons both looted and Ork-made abound. 

In their mad, endless pursuit of wealth and raw materials, some of the Kin abhuman-xenos have recently settled in Mavor. They are the Kindred of the Rymr Alliance, a staggeringly large Prospect based on the Kin World of Rymr. From exactly whence the Alliance came and why, this author cannot really discern. Perhaps they are refugees, set adrift by the Great Rift or the ‘Bane’ of the Tyranids. 

The Kindred of the Alliance’s Kinhost is highly divergent from the norm, with the Hearthkyn equipped and organized more along the lines of an Imperial Guard regiment. This speaks, perhaps, to previous service as mercenaries. Imperial vehicles, whose provenance I have no means of ascertaining, are also present. These include the supposedly extinct Autoch-pattern Predator, a specialized tank destroyer which trades the Syrtis-pattern autocannon for a ion cannon or twinned heavy magna-rail cannons. 

For the Leagues of Votann as a people-group, leaving the Core, indeed ‘sailing for Far-Space’ is a Truth-axiom denoting madness, so their presence here is extremely unusual. As for the masters of New Albia’s reaction to their recent arrival, it is shockingly muted for Astartes. If I were to speculate based on my own experiences, Cyning Bullroarer likely sees the settlement of the Alliance in Mavor as a bulwark against the other Xenos threats present. To quote that ancient sage, Ishirou Serizawa: “let them fight”.

Finally, the T’au xenos-brood and its expanding empire(s) are a matter of ever-present concern in Mavor. Of all the various aliens threatening the human race’s righteous dominion over the sub-sector, the T’au are perhaps the most insidious and confrontational. Surprisingly skilled in the waging and artifice of war for a race so young, they are also skilled diplomats and many outlying worlds have fallen to them without a shot being fired. Names such as the Six Blades Cadre, the Farstriders Cadre – infamous ones. I shudder at them.

[danwhobrowses]

My Highlights from ROH Supercard of Honor 2023

Well it's Wrestlemania weekend which means TK is back on his insane booking for ROH. 2 for 2 now he's brought about some absolutely banging cards.

I know there's also Rampage, SD and HOF tonight, but since none are PPVs I'm just gonna do this one today. Mania will be late though since I'll have to watch Night 1 and 2 back to back given how I have family plans on Sunday.

But without further ado, let's see the good stuff from ROH Supercard of Honor

Spoilers for the PPV of course

All the Zero Hour matches slapped

Big pluses for Cobb as well; Omega, Moose and Williams matches on the trot takes monster stamina

NIGEL MCGUINNESS! Back on Commentary is nice but I'm sure everyone hopes he can return to the ring, I know some want him in BCC

Mack vs Takeshita didn't disappoint either, love both of these guys and they were just back and forth

Caprice and Ian vibing with Willow's theme

Sterling giving Slim J a spare shirt after ripping his in the entrance

Stu and Slim J are still very underrated, they're both an explosive feral style of wrestler

Ah so the Righteous aren't going to WWE after all, Righteous vs Dark Order might be an interesting feud

The absolute MADMAN TK is to not only book Vikingo vs Komander but to have it open the main show

An apt comment given how I'm gonna watch HOF after but seeing Vikingo is like watching Rey Mysterio's early days

And I absolutely love that Second Rope In-and-out Phoenix Splash

Komander literally ran the entire ring rope length to swanton onto Vikingo out the ring

Yeah give me Vikingo vs AR Fox, (give me Vikingo/AR Fox against anyone really), Blake and Metalik are great too

Surprised the Embassy retained too, given all we've heard about Cage's contract running out it seemed like he'd drop

Athena may be a nasty violent heel but the amount of fun she's having is great to see, she is thriving in this role

The finish was smart too, Athena using the ref to obstruct the Magical Splash/450 and then hit the mid-rope O-Face

Samoa Joe's STF looks painful as hell

Another surprise retaining as well, shame Briscoe couldn't win though

Garcia's been having a pretty good month ngl, matches vs Brody King, Adam Cole and now Tanahashi, definitely been on the up

'You're a wrestler' chants to put Garcia off too, that story ain't over

Evoking Nakamura as well!

Garcia did a stunner to Tana's injured leg, things you don't see too often

New ROH tag belts look neat, same style as the new world title

Doomsday Device from outside the ring was meaty, the proximity to the steps has been making me nervous all show though

Ladder Sandwich as well

Top Flight's...I have no idea what to call it but they propelled each other up the ladder, then they caught a chair thrown at them!

Jose vs Alex finally getting to throw down

I saw that Destroyer coming and it was still INSANE

Glad to see Lucha Bros win, I still backed Aussie Open but not upset with this outcome

FTR are here too!

Moxley here with Yuta is interesting

I also have to give huge props for TK being able to work Shibata into matches which are both hyped and suited for his style. The OC match allowed him to take his time when he needed, and Pure Rules is perfect for his technical style

Shibata using the BCC's Hammer and Anvil

Heel Yoots is great too

Shibata is a wrestling champion again

AEW's Dynamite card is insane, plus Athena vs Miyu on ROH can slap

Claudio went back to the classical version of his theme music, I'll miss the old one but this does match the pompous and cocky energy the BCC are exuding

Eddie going at Claudio immediately, the story we've built wouldn't offer anything less

These two have really been clattering each other too

Having watched the video of their backstory, the Ricola counter/Uraken was still a great nearfall

Meaty gutwrench to the outside of the ring

Kicked out of the Gotch Neutralizer at One!

The finish was greatly heartbreaking, Kingston countering the Ricola with a rana, only to be scooped up and fall a single second short

Shibata making sure Claudio and Yuta didn't jump Eddie

Shibata feuding with the BCC is something I can get behind, Danielson, Claudio, Moxley, there are all dream matches

Eddie saying fuck and shit for a closing promo is very on brand XD

Conclusion

Another great show, it did struggle to match the opener but it got there eventually. No matches were bad and with ROH tapings now TK has been having a lot of fun bringing out the goods without having to worry about ratings. McGuinness back is a big get for ROH as is Shibata as Pure Champion.

Match of the Night: Reach for the Sky Ladder Match Best Attire: Tanahashi, there wasn't any super unique attire but Tana's look is always super stylish Best Performance: This is a tight one, but I'm giving it to Vikingo given how absolutely blockbuster and effortless he is Best Spot: Penta's Mexican Destroyer from Ladder Bridge to outside of the ring's Table Tower

[smqazi]

SALATUL JANAZAH

FUNERAL PRAYERS & RULINGS

Amongst the first things that we do after a death is offer Funeral Prayer. That also is a means of benefitting the Dead. When the Muslims pray janazah for their deceased brother, they are granted intercession for him. The more the number of Muslims who join in the prayer, the more beneficial it is for the deceased. This means that Allaah takes their testimony and supplication regarding the deceased's apparent actions as a sufficient reason for forgiveness. Since those Muslims who associated with him did not find any major problem to prevent them from supplicating for him, Allaah the most generous accepts that and agrees to forgive many of his hidden sins that they did not know. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whenever a Muslim man dies, and forty men stand for his janazah prayer, all of them not joining anything with Allaah in worship, Allaah grants them intercession for him." (Muslim and others).  

In another narration, the number 100 was mentioned instead of 40

So strive to offer Funeral prayers and try and get as many Righteous Muslims to attend the Funeral prayer and request them to pray for the deceased.

Ruling

The funeral prayer is a communal obligation (fard kifaayah) that must be offered for anyone who dies and was apparently Muslim, even if he or she committed major sins. 

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Offering the funeral prayer for the deceased is a communal obligation with no difference of opinion among us, which means there is (scholarly) consensus. 

Attending a funeral is a duty that a Muslim owes to his fellow Muslim. Al-Bukhaari (1240) and Muslim (2162) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ say: “ "The rights of a Muslim on the Muslims are five: to respond to the salaam, visiting the sick, to follow the funeral processions, to accept an invitation, and to reply to those who sneeze.”. 

REWARD OF ATTENDING FUNERAL

Also there is great reward in it. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “Whoever attends a funeral until he offers the (funeral) prayer will have one qiraat (of reward) and whoever attends until the burial is done will have two qiraats.” It was said: “What are the two qiraats?” He said: “Like two great mountains.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1261; Muslim, 945) 

Unfortunately we see that this is only done by the family & friends whereas the great rewards mentioned in the Hadeeth is not limited to them, it is for any Muslim who finds out about the funeral, attends it and follows it till it is buried. 

It serves as a reminder of the inevitable that is death for all of us, the Prophet ﷺ said, “‘Frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures,’ meaning death.” (TIrmidhi, Nisai'‘i & Ibn Majah) . Witnessing the burial reminds us that how we will be there alone in the dark and how the family will leave us there, it is us who needs to face the angels and the trials of the grave and eventually the Day of Judgement. 

HOW TO PERFORM THE JANAZA (FUNERAL) PRAYER. 

The prayer over the deceased person takes the following form:

The funeral prayer has neither Adhaan nor lqamah.

The deceased is laid down on the ground with the face directed towards the Ka'ba.

Where the deceased is a male, the Imam would stand facing towards the head of the dead body, while, if the deceased is a woman the Imam would stand facing the middle part of the dead body. Meanwhile, the congregation would be standing behind him in rows.

The funeral prayer is performed with one standing only and has neither bows (Rukuus) nor prostration (Sujuuds).

STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED

First takbir said. (#1) 

Surah al Fatiha read + another surah (desirable). 

Second takbir said. (#2) 

Then recite salah Ibrahim and Muhammed (SalAllaahu alayhi wasalam) 

Next takbir (#3) 

Dua for the person who has died from the Sunnah (mentioned below). 

Next takbir (#4) 

Pause a little. 

Then taslimah – one taslim to the right is what majority of the Scholars say is the Sunnah but some also say that Two Taslim is also fine. We need to follow the Imam. 

DUA TO BE RECITED FOR AN ADULT 

اللَّهُمَّاغْفِرْلِحَيِّنَاوَمَيِّتِنَاوَشَاهِدِنَاوَغَائِبِنَاوَصَغِيرِنَاوَكَبِيرِنَاوَذَكَرِنَاوَأُنْثَانَا

اللَّهُمَّمَنْأَحْيَيْتَهُمِنَّافَأَحْيِهِعَلَىالإِسْلاَمِوَمَنْتَوَفَّيْتَهُمِنَّافَتَوَفَّهُعَلَىالإِيمَانِ

اللَّهُمَّلاَتَحْرِمْنَاأَجْرَهُوَلاَتُضِلَّنَابَعْدَهُ

‘Allahummaghfir lihayyina wa mayyitina, wa shahidina wa gha’ibina, wa saghirina wa kabirina, wa dhakarina wa unthana. Allahumma man ahyaitahu minna faahyihi ‘alal-Islam, wa man tawaffaytahu minna fa tawaffahu ‘alal- iman. Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wa la tudillana ba’dah.

O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those who are present and those who are absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whomever of us You cause to live, let him live in Islam, and whomever of us You cause to die, let him die in (a state of) faith. O Allah, do not deprive us of his reward, and do not let us go astray after him. 

Dua to be recited for a Child 

This supplication is made when the deceased is a baby/child (i.e. one not having reached the age of puberty). When the prayer is offered for a child, there should be no prayer for forgiveness, and it should not be said in the prayer “Allaahumma aghfir lahu (O Allaah forgive him),” because no sins were recorded for him. Rather prayers should be said for forgiveness and mercy for his parents.

اللهُـمِّاجْعَلْـهُفَرَطـاًوَذُخْـراًلِوالِـدَيه،وَشَفـيعاًمُجـاباً،

اللهُـمِّثَـقِّلْبِهِمَوازيـنَهُما،وَأَعْـظِمْبِهِأُجـورَهُـما،وَأَلْـحِقْـهُبِصالِـحِالـمؤْمِنـين،

وَاجْعَلْـهُفيكَفـالَةِإِبْـراهـيم،وَقِهِبِرَحْمَـتِكَعَذابَالْجَـحيم

Allâhumma j’alhu faratan wa dhukran li-wâlidayhi, wa shafî’an mujâban.

Allâhumma thaqqil bihi mawâzînahumâ, wa a’zim bihi ijûrahumâ, wa alhiqhu bi-sâlihi-l-mu'minîna.

Wa j’alhu fî kafâlati Ibrâhîma, wa qihi bi-rahmatika ‘adhâba-l-jahîm. 

‘O Allah, make him a preceding reward and a stored treasure for his parents, and an answered intercessor. O Allah, through him, make heavy their scales and magnify their reward. Unite him with the righteous believers, place him under the care of Ibraheem, and protect him by Your mercy from the torment of Hell.’

NOTE

The person should follow the imam in the number of Taslims to finish if he makes one we make one if he makes two we follow. But the majority of Scholars say better to make one Tasleem.

The largest possible number of Muslims should be invited to the Funeral, they should be arranged in a minimum of three rows.

Raising hands for all the Takbeers is the view of Majority of the Scholars but some also are of the view that raising only for the first one is required and one does not need to raise the hands for the others.

If a person joins the funeral prayer while the Imam is about to complete the same, then, the person would continue with the congregation until when the Imam concludes the prayer, then, the person would complete by himself whatever he missed of the prayer following the above procedure.

If a late-comer fears that the body of the deceased may be taken away before he completes the pray over him, then, such a person may only come up with the Words of greatness i.e. "ALLAHU AKBAR" four times without necessarily reciting the required supplications. The person thereafter, comes up with the words of peace, thereby, ending the prayer.

If a person is unable to pray over a deceased person before burial, then, it is permitted for him to pray over the deceased's grave.

If a person who is faraway is told of the death of a friend or family member (who he would have prayed the Funeral for, if he was in town), then such a person may pray over the deceased person in absentia with the intention as though the deceased is actually before him/her.

[theprayerfulword]

September 28

John 14:1 Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me.”

Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Romans 8:34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people,

May you sing, bursting into song and shouting for joy, as you enlarge the place of your tent, stretching your tent curtains wide, not holding back but lengthening your cords and strengthening your stakes, for the Lord Almighty, your Maker, your Husband, your Redeemer, will make you fruitful. Isaiah 54

May you not be afraid or fear disgrace, for you will not suffer shame or be humiliated, even forgetting the shame of your youth and remembering no more your reproach, for the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth, though He left you for a brief moment, with deep compassion He will bring you back, after hiding His face from you for a moment in a surge of anger, He will have compassion on you with everlasting kindness, says the Lord your Redeemer. Isaiah 54

May you know that the Lord has sworn not to be angry with you and never to rebuke you again, just like the days of Noah, for though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, His unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor His covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54

May you realize that though you have been afflicted, lashed by storms and not comforted, you will be adorned by jewels, your sons will be taught by the Lord, and your children's peace will be great, even as tyranny will be far from you, for you will be established in righteousness, since terror will be far removed and will not come near you, and whoever attacks you will not be sent by the Lord and will therefore surrender to you. Isaiah 54

May you be reassured that, since the Lord created the blacksmith to forge the weapons and the destroyer to use the weapons, He will not allow any weapon forged against you to prevail if used against you, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you, for this is the heritage of the Lord's servants and this is their vindication for their God. Isaiah 54

May you listen and hear the voice of the Lord calling you to come and satisfy your thirst with His living water, buying wine and milk without money and without cost, and, though you have no money, having spent your labor on what is not bread and does not satisfy, to buy and eat the the bread of life, delighting your soul in the richest of fare. Isaiah 55

May you give ear and come to the Lord, hearing Him, that your soul may live, for He will make an everlasting covenant with you for His faithful love promised to David. Isaiah 55

May you seek the Lord while He may be found and call on Him while He is near, forsaking any evil ways and rejecting all evil thoughts, and turn to the Lord, for He will have mercy upon you and freely pardon you. Isaiah 55

May you understand that the Lord's thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways His ways, just as the heavens are higher than the earth. Isaiah 55

May you have the confidence that, as the snow and rain do not return to heaven without producing seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is the word of the Lord that goes forth from His mouth: it will not return to Him empty, but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it. Isaiah 55

May you go out in joy and be led forth in peace as the mountains and hills burst into song before you and all the trees of the field clap their hands as the pine tree grows in place of the thorn-bush and the myrtles grow in place of the briers, for this is for the Lord's renown and for an everlasting sign which shall not be destroyed. Isaiah 55

My child, I am making you a priest and a king, part of a chosen people in a holy nation, not of this world, but given completely unto Myself, to show forth My praises and declare My virtues by demonstrating My mercy to the poor, My compassion to the helpless, and My strength to the weak. Though you were once a slave, chained and tormented, held captive by other masters than Me, I have come down from heaven and redeemed you, cleansing and renewing you, and raised you up to be seated Me in the heavenlies, for the glory of My name. I do not place you on the earth to lord your identity in Me over others, but to seek out those whose hearts are crying to Mine and serve them as an ambassador of My kingdom. You are not to speak your own opinions or promote your own agenda, but with your life hid in Me by communing with Me daily, hourly, breath by breath, you shall present the truth of My gospel by the power of My Spirit. The effort this costs you in tears and prayers is fully worthwhile, My love. You will not give up or lose anything that you will not gain back a hundred-fold, both in this world, and the world to come. My travail in the garden of Gethsemane has made it a very fruitful garden, indeed, and I collect each of your tears that are shed for those I love to water My Word in their hearts along with My own tears. Lead the way, My dear one, for others to follow, as you kneel before Me now in adoration, casting crowns and honors and blessings before Me in grateful praise. Whether they imitate you willingly or grudgingly, all will do the same, and you shall be a first-fruit, a forerunner, a prized and cherished possession of My heart.

May you be blessed as you maintain justice and do what is right, holding fast to His salvation, which is close at hand, and His righteousness, which will soon be revealed, keeping the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeping your hand from doing any evil, for you will be brought to God's holy mountain and given joy in His house, which shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. Isaiah 56

May you consider, when you see the righteous perish and devout men taken away, and understand that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil so that those who walk uprightly may enter into peace and find rest in the Lord. Isaiah 57

May you make the Lord your refuge, for thus will you inherit the land and possess His holy mountain. Isaiah 57

May you honor your father and mother that you may receive the promise it contains, that it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on the earth. Ephesians 6

May you not exasperate those you have charge over, but train and instruct them in the ways of the Lord by demonstrating how to walk in God's love. Ephesians 6

May you obey those in charge over you with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ, not simply to win their favor, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart, wholeheartedly, as if your were serving the Lord, not men. Ephesians 6

May you not threaten those for whom you are responsible since you know the One Who is their Master, and yours, and there is no favoritism in Him. Ephesians 6

May you be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, putting on the full armor of God so that, when the evil day comes, you can stand your ground against the devil's schemes, for we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world & against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6

May you stand firm against the evil one's schemes with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the enemy, adding the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, as you pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, staying alert and always praying for the people of God. Ephesians 6

May you call to the Lord to hasten to save you, that He may come quickly to help you so that those who seek your life will be put to shame and confusion, turning back in disgrace all who desire your ruin, but may all who seek the Lord rejoice and be glad in Him, and those who love Your salvation always exalt the Lord. Psalm 70