#granit musa

[whencyclopedia]

Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai (Hebrew: Har Sinay, Arabic: Jabal Musa, "mountain of Moses") is a holy site for the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. It has traditionally been located in the center of the Sinai Peninsula, between Africa and the Middle East. A 2200-meter peak, it tops a region known as the Arabian-Nubian Shield, consisting of crystalline and granite rock formations with volcanic elements.

Name & Location

The origin of the name remains open to debate. Theories consider the root of sin from the Mesopotamian moon god Sin, who was also associated with the Egyptian moon god Thoth. Rabbinical texts cited the root of seneh, where, in two cases, it referred to the site of the "burning bush."

The earliest history of this region was its importance for the location and mining of various metals: gold, silver, copper, zinc, tin, and lead. Pharaonic Egypt had numerous mines in the region as well as a string of defensive fortresses along this northeastern border. In the biblical traditions of King Solomon (900s BCE), his wealth was accounted for because of 'Solomon's mines' in the area. Ancient mining centers have been excavated on the peninsula.

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[alchemisland]

Querent currency

Homeschool kid is oversheltered but his gospel knowledge is belter Belts out venom from the golden book holy letters, psaltar legend I’ll assault a legend just to prove my gall isn’t all talk Stonefaced, granite balls, kick helped you pass gall stones Ass built for sitting on thrones, half my inventory in gold Like Musa sent it over in the post, Mansa alchemical master Croseus and Midas…

[pjanicmire]

Azet's laugh... i can't

[ibilenews]

7 Influential African Empires

From ancient Sudan to medieval Zimbabwe, get the facts on seven African kingdoms that made their mark on history.

1. The Kingdom of Kush

Though often overshadowed by its Egyptian neighbors to the north, the Kingdom of Kush stood as a regional power in Africa for over a thousand years. This ancient Nubian empire reached its peak in the second millennium B.C., when it ruled over a vast swath of territory along the Nile River in what is now Sudan. Almost all that is known about Kush comes from Egyptian sources, which indicate that it was an economic center that operated a lucrative market in ivory, incense, iron and especially gold. The kingdom was both a trading partner and a military rival of Egypt—it even ruled Egypt as the 25th Dynasty—and it adopted many of its neighbor’s customs. The Kushites worshipped some of the Egyptian gods, mummified their dead and built their own types of pyramids. The area surrounding the ancient Kushite capital of Meroe is now home to the ruins of over 200 pyramids—more than in all of Egypt.

2. The Land of Punt

Few African civilizations are as mysterious as Punt. Historical accounts of the kingdom date to around 2500 B.C., when it appears in Egyptian records as a “Land of the Gods” rich in ebony, gold, myrrh and exotic animals such as apes and leopards. The Egyptians are known to have sent huge caravans and flotillas on trade missions to Punt—most notably during the 15th century B.C. reign of Queen Hatshepsut—yet they never identified where it was located. The site of the fabled kingdom is now a hotly debated topic among scholars. The Arabian Peninsula and the Levant have both been proposed as potential candidates, but most believe it existed somewhere on the Red Sea coast of East Africa. In 2010, a team of researchers tried to zero in on Punt by analyzing a mummified baboon that its rulers once gifted to the Egyptian pharaohs. While their results showed that the remains most closely matched animals found in modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea, the precise location of the Land of Punt has still yet to be confirmed.

3. Carthage

Best known as ancient Rome’s rival in the Punic Wars, Carthage was a North African commercial hub that flourished for over 500 years. The city-state began its life in the 8th or 9th century B.C. as a Phoenician settlement in what is now Tunisia, but it later grew into a sprawling seafaring empire that dominated trade in textiles, gold, silver and copper. At its peak, its capital city boasted nearly half a million inhabitants and included a protected harbor outfitted with docking bays for 220 ships. Carthage’s influence eventually extended from North Africa to Spain and parts of the Mediterranean, but its thirst for expansion led to increased friction with the burgeoning Roman Republic. Beginning in 264 B.C., the ancient superpowers clashed in the three bloody Punic Wars, the last of which ended in 146 B.C. with the near-total destruction of Carthage. Today, almost all that remains of the once-mighty empire is a series of ruins in the city of Tunis.

4. The Kingdom of Aksum

During the same period that the Roman Empire rose and fell, the influential Kingdom of Aksum held sway over parts of what are now Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. Surprisingly little is known about Aksum’s origins, but by the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. it was a trading juggernaut whose gold and ivory made it a vital link between ancient Europe and the Far East. The kingdom had a written script known as Ge’ez—one of the first to emerge in Africa—and it developed a distinctive architectural style that involved the building of massive stone obelisks, some of which stood over 100 feet tall. In the fourth century, Aksum became one of the first empires in the world to adopt Christianity, which led to a political and military alliance with the Byzantines. The empire later went into decline sometime around the 7th or 8th century, but its religious legacy still exists today in the form of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

5. The Mali Empire

The founding of the Mali Empire dates to the 1200s, when a ruler named Sundiata Keita—sometimes called the “Lion King”—led a revolt against a Sosso king and united his subjects into a new state. Under Keita and his successors, the empire tightened its grip over a large portion of West Africa and grew rich on trade. Its most important cities were Djenné and Timbuktu, both of which were renowned for their elaborate adobe mosques and Islamic schools. One such institution, Timbuktu’s Sankore University, included a library with an estimated 700,000 manuscripts. The Mali Empire eventually disintegrated in the 16th century, but at its peak it was one of the jewels of the African continent and was known the world over for its wealth and luxury. One legendary tale about the kingdom’s riches concerns the ruler Mansa Musa, who made a stopover in Egypt during a 14th century pilgrimage to Mecca. According to contemporary sources, Musa dished out so much gold during the visit that he caused its value to plummet in Egyptian markets for several years.

6. The Songhai Empire

For sheer size, few states in African history can compare to the Songhai Empire. Formed in the 15th century from some of the former regions of the Mali Empire, this West African kingdom was larger than Western Europe and comprised parts of a dozen modern day nations. The empire enjoyed a period of prosperity thanks to vigorous trade policies and a sophisticated bureaucratic system that separated its vast holdings into different provinces, each ruled by its own governor. It reached its zenith in the early 16th century under the rule of the devout King Muhammad I Askia, who conquered new lands, forged an alliance with Egypt’s Muslim Caliph and established hundreds of Islamic schools in Timbuktu. While the Songhai Empire was once among the most powerful states in the world, it later crumbled in the late 1500s after a period of civil war and internal strife left it open to an invasion by the Sultan of Morocco.

7. The Great Zimbabwe

One of the most impressive monuments in sub-Saharan Africa is the Great Zimbabwe, an imposing collection of stacked boulders, stone towers and defensive walls assembled from cut granite blocks. The rock citadel has long been the subject of myths and legends—it was once thought to be the residence of the Biblical Queen of Sheba—but historians now know it as the capital city of an indigenous empire that thrived in the region between the 13th and 15th centuries. This kingdom ruled over a large chunk of modern day Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It was particularly rich in cattle and precious metals, and stood astride a trade route that connected the region’s gold fields with ports on the Indian Ocean coast. Though little is known about its history, the remains of artifacts such as Chinese pottery, Arabian glass and European textiles indicate that it was once a well-connected mercantile center. The fortress city at the Great Zimbabwe was mysteriously abandoned sometime in the 15th century after the kingdom went into decline, but in its heyday it was home to an estimated 20,000 people.

[shqiperialive]

Qëlluan drejt reperit shqiptar pas problemeve me pagesën? Pronari i klubit zbulon si qëndron e vërteta

Qëlluan drejt reperit shqiptar pas problemeve me pagesën? Pronari i klubit zbulon si qëndron e vërteta

Një ngjarje e pakëndshme i ka ndodhur reperit Azet, emri i vërtetë i të cilit është Granit Musa. Thuhet se eskorta e tij është sulmuar në Vjenë. Një qytetar për mediat në Kosovë ka treguar se ngjarja ka ndodhur në mbrëmjen e organizuar të shtunën në një klub nate, teksa në video dëgjohen edhe të shtëna me armë. Sipas tij, shkak i këtij sulmi ka qenë pagesa. Është pritur të ketë më shumë njerëz në…

[ssorknimajneb]

Sa. 14.05.22 (Tag 13):

Heute früh hatte der Wecker wieder zeitig geklingelt. 7:00Uhr schnell zum Frühstück, 7:30Uhr Abfahrt in Wadi Musa, da ich bis um 9:30Uhr in Wadi Rum Village sein musste. Hier startete um 10Uhr meine 2-tägige Tour in die Wüste. Für den ersten Tag war eine Rundfahrt durchs Wadi geplant, um quasi einen Eindruck über die Wüste und das Leben der Beduinen hier zu erhalten.

Zum Wadi Rum selbst: Es ist unter anderem durch T.E. Lawrance (Lawrence of Arabia) bekannt geworden. Das Landschaftsbild prägen hier bis ca. 1000m hoch aus der Sandebene aufragende Felsenberge. Das Schutzgebiet Wadi Rum ist seit 2011 offiziell als Weltkulturerbe eingestuft. Reell betrachtet handelt es sich bei dieser Wüstenlandschaft um Verwerfungen von Sandateinfelsen auf Granitsockeln, welche vor 30 Mio. Jahren angehoben wurden. Die Erosion hatte viel Zeit, den Sandstein zu Sand zu erodieren und sich am harten Granit "die Zähne auszubeißen". Übrig blieben die bizarren Formen der Felsen und Berge, welche aus der roten Fläche aufragen. So taufte z.B. T.E. Lawrance eine Bergformation "die 7 Säulen der Weisheit".

In der Wüste stehen auch einige natürliche Steinbögen, welche wie Fußgänger-Brücken aussehen (kleine Felsbrücke Rakehbt al Wadak, und die Felsbrücken Um Throuth bzw. Burdah). Ein cooles Foto-Motiv.

Einige der Felsen tragen auch Petroglyphen, welche wohl hauptsächlich von den normadischen Beduinen in die Felsen geritzt wurden. Sie zeigen unter anderem Kamele und andere Tiere oder Krieger.

Unsere Stops der Reihe nach waren: Die Quelle von Lawrance, eine große rote Sanddüne, die Schlucht Khazali mit Petroglyphen, Little Arche und zum Schluss vor dem Mittagessen das Haus von Lawrance (eher unspektakuläre Steinwand, die Aussicht vom Hügel oberhalb war wesentlich besser). Um nicht in der größten Hitze weiterzufahren, rasteten wir im Schatten nach dem Lunch bis ca. 16Uhr (Wettervorhersage 38°C). Im Laufe des Tages besserte sich auch das Wetter. Als wir gegen 10Uhr im Wadi Rum Village gestartet waren, tobte regelrecht ein kleiner Sandsturm, welcher auch leider für eine suboptimale Sicht sorgte.

Nach der Mittagspause ging's dann zu zwei Canyons, welche ich eher unspektakuläre fand durch die Besuche im Wadi Mujib, Wadi Ghuweir und dem Siq in Petra. Anschließend konnten wir an einer hohen Düne Sandboarding probieren, was sehr cool war. Kurz vor Sonnenuntergang gab's noch einen Stop an einem zweiten Felsbogen. Der Sonnenuntergang würde uns leider durch die diesige Sicht, ausgelöst durch den Staub und Sand in der Luft, verwehrt. Die zwei südkoreanischen Begleiter verabschiedeten sich und ich blieb mit einem französischen Päarchen in meiner "Unterkunft" für die erste Nacht in der Wüste; eine kleine Mauer an einem Felsvorsprung, genannt "the Cave". Wir schliefen unter freiem Himmel im Schein des Mondes und der Sterne (bei min. 20°C sollte das kein Problem sein). Mehr OFFLINE geht wohl kaum 😎!!! Leider waren wegen des Vollmonds kaum Sterne zu sehen.

[earthstory]

The Siq

Slot canyons are formed in arid environments by the action of flash floods eroding weak spot in the rock as discussed in a recent post at http://tinyurl.com/n2omlae. One of the most famous in the world is the Siq (Arabic for the shaft), that leads from a wide valley through a highly defensible defile for 1.2km into the ancient and deserted Nabataean city of Petra, in modern Jordan. The slot narrows down to 3 metres at several locations, providing several choke points where attackers can be cut off and overwhelmed from above.

Unlike most slot canyons, that follow joints formed in the rock as the pressure of the overlying strata was removed by surface erosion, the Siq follows a tectonic fault in the rocks that was a natural channel for runoff to follow, smoothing the sides in the characteristic pattern of aqueous erosion. The height of the canyon walls varied from 90-180 metres. The fault is part of a complex series on the edge of the Arabian plate, in a transform fault segment of the northern end of the Great African rift that also formed the Dead Sea. The area is still at risk of major earthquakes, and the city was gradually abandoned after a devastating quake in 363CE.

Petra developed in an arid area, and its management of water resources could teach us a helpful thing or two in the times of erratic changing rainfall patterns and droughts that are predicted to increase with climate change. The entrance to the Siq had a dam barring its mouth, re-channelling the flow of Wadi Musa, a dry channel subject to slash flooding when rains drench the area, allowing the canyon to become the main caravan entrance into the city and protecting the whole area from erosion.

This water was not wasted, but channelled along with runoff from a wide area into a massive system of over 200 cisterns around and under the city, carved out of the living rock. This provided enough water for a city of an estimated population at its height of 20,000. Researchers are only beginning to decipher its complexity, including reshaping of rockfaces and creating channel systems all over the city to funnel the water away from the inhabited areas and into the reservoirs.

Petra's wealth was built on becoming a hinge in a series of strategic trade routes, that often followed multiple paths across barren areas. These included being one terminus of the silk linking the ancient world with India and China, with silks and wine travelling back and forth. Another critical one was the north south trade routes importing gold, slaves and ivory out of Africa and spices and incense from Arabia to feed the voracious appetites of the Hellenic (such as Ptolemaic Egypt) and later Roman empires. It was established by the 3rd century BCE, but saw its apogee in the first century BCE before being conquered by Rome in her strategy of expansion into the weak frontier that Freya Stark described in her book Rome on the Euphrates.

The rocky basement consists of Precambrian granites, gneiss and schists, overlain by the Cambrian Nubian sandstones resting unconformably on the crystalline rocks, whose lowest and oldest layer, shot through with diverse amounts of iron and manganese oxide minerals, was carved out into the city's impressive monuments. The rocks are quartz rich and the coloured oxides are in the matrix between the grains, giving a hue ranging from red, through yellow to chocolate brown. The sandstone was once sediment left behind by a braided stream complex in the Palaeozoic at a tropical latitude. A thin layer of marine limestone caps some of the highest areas of the city.

When the city was abandoned, the water channelling system gradually fell into disrepair, leading to higher rates of erosion that persist to this day, exacerbated by problems such as salt erosion due to irrigation. Only the enigmatic carved buildings such as the treasury in the photo, the first sight that greets any visitor as they emerge from the Siq (in this case I would guess on one of the full moon night tours) testify to this once vibrant crossroads between the four corners of the known world.

Loz

Image credit: https://flic.kr/p/7AU7eS http://www.abdullahsuleiman.com/ http://nabataea.net/siq.html http://www.geotimes.org/june04/feature_petra.html http://www.andrewsi.freeserve.co.uk/jordan-geology.htm

[whencyclopedia]

Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai (Hebrew: Har Sinay, Arabic: Jabal Musa, "mountain of Moses") is a holy site for the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. It has traditionally been located in the center of the Sinai Peninsula, between Africa and the Middle East. A 2200-meter peak, it tops a region known as the Arabian-Nubian Shield, consisting of crystalline and granite rock formations with volcanic elements.

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[samkamuh]

Kemunafikan

Happy Sabbath friends!

Seorang kepala polisi di daerah Seattle ditangkap dan dijatuhi hukuman beberapa tahun penjara karena menipu warga penyandang disabilitas dengan uang jaminan sosial mereka, orang-orang yang dibayar untuk dia lindungi!

Kepala polisi Charles Allen dari Granite Falls, Washington, dijatuhi hukuman lima tahun penjara karena menggelapkan uang dari warga penyandang cacat. Kepala Polisi tersebut mengatas-namakan lembaga nirlaba, diduga membantu mengelola keuangan bagi warga yang membutuhkan jasanya. Namun gantinya membantu kliennya memanfaatkan dana mereka sebaik mungkin, Allen mengaku secara tidak sah mengambil hingga $14.000 untuk dirinya sendiri setiap bulan, dengan total lebih dari $600.000 selama beberapa tahun.

Seorang asisten pengacara khusus menyebut perbuatan Allen sebagai "tindakan kemunafikan yang ekstrem." Sebagai seorang kepala polisi, tugasnya adalah melindungi warga kotanya, namun sebaliknya, kota harus turun tangan dan melindungi warga darinya. Kepala Polisi ini tahu bahwa kliennya secara mental dan fisik tidak mampu mengelola dana mereka untuk diri mereka sendiri, namun dia tidak ragu untuk mencuri cek bulanan mereka yang kecil.

Yesus dengan jelas mengajar para pengikut-Nya untuk tidak mengikuti jalan orang-orang munafik dengan “berkata, dan tidak melakukan”, dan kejahatan Allen adalah contoh yang jelas dari kemunafikan semacam itu. Tapi kita mungkin menemukan diri kita tergelincir ke dalam kemunafikan pada tingkat yang lebih kecil. Kehidupan Kristen lebih dari sekadar menjadi bagian dari subkultur Kristen dan hidup di bawah label Kristen. Apakah hidup kita mencerminkan Juruselamat yang kita akui untuk ikuti? Apakah perkataan dan sikap kita terhadap orang lain berbicara tentang kasih Tuhan?

Matius 23:1-3

Maka berkatalah Yesus kepada orang banyak dan kepada murid-murid-Nya, kata-Nya: (2) "Ahli-ahli Taurat dan orang-orang Farisi telah menduduki kursi Musa. (3) Sebab itu turutilah dan lakukanlah segala sesuatu yang mereka ajarkan kepadamu, tetapi janganlah kamu turuti perbuatan-perbuatan mereka, karena mereka mengajarkannya tetapi tidak melakukannya.

Doug Batchelor

[fabioferreiraroc]

Os 10 melhores filmes de Hollywood para ver na Netflix em 2020

A Bula reuniu em uma lista dez filmes de estúdios hollywoodianos que foram adicionados recentemente à Netflix e que todos os espectadores deveriam assistir este ano. A seleção priorizou longas de diferentes gêneros que receberam boas avaliações da crítica especializada em cinema e dos usuários do serviço de streaming.

A Bula reuniu em uma lista dez filmes de Hollywood, lançados nos últimos anos, que foram adicionados recentemente ao catálogo da Netflix. Dentre as milhares de opções do serviço de streaming, estes longas se destacam pela qualidade e foram aclamados pela crítica especializada em cinema. A seleção priorizou produções de diferentes gêneros, como o drama “Destacamento Blood” (2020), de Spike Lee; o suspense “Rebecca — A Mulher Inesquecível” (2020), de Ben Wheatley; e o terror “IT — A Coisa” (2017), dirigido por Andy Muschietti. Os títulos estão organizados de acordo com o ano de lançamento e não seguem critérios classificatórios.

Imagens: Divulgação / Reprodução Netflix

Destacamento Blood (2020), Spike Lee

O filme conta a história de três amigos negros que lutaram na Guerra do Vietnã: Otis, Eddie e Melvin. Anos mais tarde, eles resolvem voltar ao local onde lutaram, em busca dos restos mortais do líder do esquadrão. Além disso, eles têm a esperança de encontrar um tesouro que foi escondido pelo amigo. Nessa jornada, os ex-soldados têm que lidar com as lembranças dolorosas da guerra.

Estou Pensando em Acabar com Tudo (2020), Charlie Kaufman

Apesar de ter dúvidas sobre seu relacionamento, uma jovem viaja para conhecer os pais do namorado, Jake. Ao chegar na fazenda deles, ela começa a se sentir estranha e acha bizarro o comportamento dos sogros. Mas, apesar disso, ela não pode ir embora, pois uma tempestade de neve atinge a região. Presa no local, ela passa a questionar tudo o que pensava sobre o namorado e si mesma.

Lost Girls: Os Crimes de Long Island (2020), Liz Garbus

Quando a filha de Mari Gilbert desaparece, ela passa meses fazendo uma campanha para que a polícia investigue corretamente o caso. Mas, diante da indiferença das autoridades, Mari começa a seguir as pistas e procurar a filha por conta própria no condomínio fechado de Long Island, onde ela foi vista pela última vez. Durante a busca, Mari descobre que várias outras mulheres desapareceram nas mesmas condições. O filme é baseado em fatos reais.

Os 7 de Chicago (2020), Aaron Sorkin

Em 1968, em Chicago, o Partido Democrata realiza uma convenção para escolher os candidatos à eleição presidencial daquele ano. Do lado de fora, mais de 15 mil manifestantes contra a Guerra do Vietnã entram em confronto com a polícia e a Guarda Nacional dos EUA. Os organizadores do protesto, que era inicialmente pacífico, são acusados de conspiração e incitação da desordem. O julgamento deles atrai atenção mundial.

Rebecca — A Mulher Inesquecível (2020), Ben Wheatley

Uma jovem de origem humilde e recém-casada se muda para Manderley, a imponente mansão do marido, Maxim, um rico e sedutor aristocrata inglês. A casa é gerida por Mrs. Danvers, uma rígida governanta. Já instalada na propriedade, a jovem passa a ser confrontada pelas lembranças de Rebecca, a primeira mulher de Maxim, que morreu há alguns anos. Mrs. Danvers atormenta a vida da nova patroa, fazendo-a acreditar que é inferior à Rebecca e não merece estar casada com Maxim.

Trama Fantasma (2018), Paul Thomas Anderson

Nos anos 1950, Reynolds Woodcock é um renomado estilista que trabalha ao lado da irmã, Cyril, para vestir grandes nomes da elite britânica. Sua inspiração vem das mulheres que entram e saem de sua vida constantemente. Mas tudo muda quando ele conhece a inteligente garçonete Alma, que se torna sua musa e amante. Apesar de amar Woodcock, Alma não aceita seu jeito sistemático e agressivo.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Denis Villeneuve

Em 2049, os replicantes — seres humanos artificiais fabricados graças ao desenvolvimento da bioengenharia — estão mais evoluídos e obedientes. Um deles é K, um blade runner que caça foragidos para a polícia. Em uma de suas missões, K descobre um segredo: uma replicante teve um filho. A reprodução de replicantes pode desencadear uma guerra deles com os humanos. Então, o chefe de K exige que ele elimine a criança.

Homem-Aranha: De Volta ao Lar (2017), Jon Watts

Depois de atuar ao lado dos Vingadores, o jovem Peter Parker volta para casa e para a sua rotina, já não mais tão normal. Lutando diariamente contra pequenos crimes, ele pensa ter encontrado a missão de sua vida quando o vilão Abutre surge amedrontando a cidade. Mas, ele está sendo acompanhado de perto por Tony Stark, o Homem de Ferro, que acredita que o jovem ainda não está pronto para enfrentar criminosos perigosos.

Homens de Coragem (2017), Joseph Kosinski

Este longa biográfico conta a história dos Granite Mountain Hotshots, uma equipe de elite dos bombeiros do Arizona, treinada para enfrentar o perigo a todo custo. Em 2013, quando o fogo toma conta de uma floresta na Colina de Yarnell, eles correm contra o tempo para apagar as chamas. Em um dos maiores incêndios da história dos EUA, 19 membros do grupo perdem a vida.

IT — A Coisa (2017), Andy Muschietti

Baseado no romance homônimo de Stephen King, o filme acompanha um grupo de sete adolescentes de uma pequena cidade no Maine. Eles se autointitulam “Losers Club — O Clube dos Perdedores”. A pacata rotina na vizinhança dos amigos é interrompida quando crianças começam a desaparecer misteriosamente. Logo, os Losers acabam encontrando o responsável pelos crimes: o assustador palhaço Pennywise, que se alimenta do medo de suas vítimas.

Os 10 melhores filmes de Hollywood para ver na Netflix em 2020 Publicado primeiro em https://www.revistabula.com

[ahermana-blog]

Sekiranya ku menjadi Muhammad Takkan sudi ku beranjak ke bumi Setelah sampai di dekat ’Arsyi -’Abdul Quddus, Sufi Ganggoh- Buraq namanya. Maka ia serupa barq, kilat yang melesat dengan kecepatan cahaya. Malam itu diiring Jibril, dibawanya seorang Rasul mulia ke Masjidil Aqsha. Khadijah, isteri setia, lambang cinta penuh pengorbanan itu telah tiada. Demikian juga Abu Thalib, sang pelindung yang penuh kasih meski tetap enggan beriman. Ia sudah meninggal. Rasul itu berduka. Ia merasa sebatang kara. Ia merasa sendiri menghadapi gelombang pendustaan, penyiksaan, dan penentangan terhadap seruan sucinya yang kian meningkat seiring bergantinya hari. Ia merasa sepi. Maka Allah hendak menguatkannya. Allah memperlihatkan kepadanya sebagian dari tanda kuasaNya. Buraq namanya. Ia diikat di pintu Masjid Al Aqsha ketika seluruh Nabi dan Rasul berhimpun di sana. Mereka shalat. Dan penumpangnya itu kini mengimami mereka semua. Tetapi dari sini Sang Nabi berangkat untuk perjalanan yang menyejarah. Disertai Jibril ia naik ke langit, memasuki lapis demi lapis. Bertemu Adam, Yahya serta ’Isa, Yusuf, Idris, Harun, Musa, dan Ibrahim. Lalu terus ke Sidratul Muntaha, Baitul Ma’mur, dan naik lagi menghadap Allah hingga jaraknya kurang dari dua ujung busur. Allah membuka tabirNya.. Allah.. Allah.. Jika melihat Yusuf yang tampan sudah membuat jari para wanita teriris mati rasa, apa gerangan rasa melihat Sang Pencipta yang Maha Indah? Atau katakan padaku shahabat, apa yang kau rasakan saat melihat Ka’bah yang mulia untuk pertama kalinya? Ya, sebuah ekstase. Kita haru. Kita syahdu. Air mata menitik. Raga terasa ringan. Jiwa kita penuh. Mulut kita ternganga. Maka apa kira-kira yang dirasakan Muhammad, Shallallaahu ’Alaihi wa Sallam ketika ia mi’raj bertemu Rabbnya? Kesyahduan. Keterpesonaan. Kesejukan. Kenikmatan ruhani. Kelegaan jiwa. Tiada tara. Tiada tara. Tiada tara. Demi Allah, alangkah indahnya, betapa nikmatnya.. Maka ada benarnya Sufi Ganggoh itu. Di saat mengalami puncak kenikmatan ruhani itu, tentu ada goda untuk bertahan lama-lama di sana. Kalau bisa, kita ingin menikmatinya selamanya. Atau setidaknya mengulanginya. Lagi dan lagi. Kesyahduan yang tak terlukiskan, ruhani yang terasa penuh, berkecipak, mengalun. Jiwa yang terpana bagaikan titik air menyatu dengan samudera, kedirian kita hilang lenyap ditelan kemuliaan dan keagungan Ilahi. Kita ingin mereguknya, menyesapnya, lalu rebah, dipeluk, direngkuh, dan menyandarkan hati di situ saja. Selama-lamanya. Kenikmatan ruhani. Kekhusyu’an batin. Kita pasti ingin menikmatinya selalu. Kita menghasratkannya tiap waktu. Tetapi justru di situlah salahnya. Justru di situlah kekeliruan terbesar kita. Coba tengok perjalanan mi’raj Sang Nabi. Ia tidak terjadi setiap hari. Ia terjadi sekali, hanya ketika deraan rasa sakit, badai kepiluan, dan himpitan beban telah melampaui daya tahan kemanusiaan. Ia terjadi ketika sang Rasul merasakan puncak kepayahan jiwa; da’wah yang ditolak, seruan yang diabaikan, pengikut yang tak seberapa, sahabat-sahabat yang disiksa, dan para penyokong utama satu demi satu mencukupkan usia. Maka satu hal yang kita maknai dari perjalanan mi’raj adalah, bahwa ia sekedar sebuah waqfah. Ia sebuah perhentian sejenak. Sebuah oase tempat Sang Nabi mengisi ulang bekal perjalanannya. Bekal perjuangannya. Mi’raj bukanlah titik akhir dari perjalanan itu. Merasakan kenikmatan ruhani yang dahsyat bukanlah tujuan dari perjalanan hidup dan risalahnya. Itulah yang membuat Sang Nabi dan Sang Sufi dari Ganggoh bertolak belakang. Jika Sang Sufi memandang ekstase kenikmatan ruhani itu sebagai tujuan hidupnya, Sang Nabi sekedar menjadikannya sebuah rehat. Sejenak mengambil kembali energi ruhani, mengisi ulang stamina jiwa. Sesudah itu dunia menantinya untuk berkarya bagi kemanusiaan. Dan iapun, kata Muhammad Iqbal dalam Ziarah Abadi, menyisipkan diri ke kancah zaman. Padaku malaikat menawarkan, ”Tinggallah di langit ini, bersama syahdu sujud-sujud kami Bersama kenikmatan-kenikmatan suci” ”Tidak!”, kataku, ”Di bumi masih ada angkara aniaya Di sanalah aku mengabdi, berkarya, berkorban Hingga batas waktu yang telah ditentukan.” Inilah jalan cinta para pejuang. Para penitinya bukanlah para pengejar ekstase dan kenikmatan ruhani. Mereka adalah pejuang yang mengajak pada kebaikan, memerintahkan yang ma’ruf, mencegah yang munkar, dan beriman kepada Allah. Dalam kerja-kerja besar itu, terkadang mereka merasa lelah, merasa lemah, merasa terkuras. Maka Allah menyiapkan mi’raj bagi mereka. Sang Nabi yang cinta dan kerja da’wahnya tiada tara itu memang mendapat mi’raj istimewa; langsung menghadap Allah ’Azza wa Jalla. Kita, para pengikutnya, berbahagia mendapat sabdanya, ”Saat mi’raj seorang mukmin adalah shalat!” Shalat, kata Sayyid Quthb, adalah hubungan langsung antara manusia yang fana dan kekuatan yang abadi. Ia adalah waktu yang telah dipilih untuk pertemuan setetes air yang terputus dengan sumber yang tak pernah kering. Ia adalah kunci perbendaharaan yang mencukupi, memuaskan, dan melimpah. Ia adalah pembebasan dari batas-batas realita bumi yang kecil menuju realita alam raya. Ia adalah angin, embun, dan awan di siang hari di siang hari bolong nan terik. Ia adalah sentuhan yang lembut pada hati yang letih dan payah. Maka shalat adalah rehat. Ketika tulang-tulang terasa berlolosan dalam jihad, rasa kebas di otot dan kulit berkuah keringat, Sang Nabi bersabda pada muadzinnya, ”Yaa Bilal, Arihna bish shalaah.. Hai Bilal, istirahatkan kami dengan shalat!” Berhala Kekhusyu’an Seorang musafir berhenti di sebuah Masjid. Ia lelah, gerah, penat, pegal, dan pening. Terlebih, sepanjang jalan ia merasa sepi di tengah ramai, dan asing di tengah khalayak. Di masjid itu ia menemukan ketenangan. Wudhunya serasa membasuh seluruh jiwa raga. Ketika air itu menyapu, ia seperti bisa melihat noktah-noktah hitam dosanya luntur berleleran, mengalir hanyut bersama air. Dalam shalatnya ia benar-benar merasa berdiri di hadapan Sang Pencipta. Tiap bacaannya seolah dijawab olehNya. Ia merasakan getar keagungan. Ini pertama kalinya ia bisa terisak-isak dalam sujudnya. Hatinya diselimuti perasaan tenteram, sejuk, penuh makna. Dia merasakan sebuah ekstase. Saat lain ia lewat di masjid itu. Ia memang sengaja ingin shalat di sana. Ia rindu kekhusyu’annya. Masjid ini memancarkan keagungan. Pilar-pilarnya tegak kokoh, berlapis marmer kelabu. Kolom-kolom setengah lingkarannya manis dengan ukiran geometris. Lampu-lampunya remang dibingkai logam mengilat bersegi delapan. Lantainya lembut menyambut tiap sujud, dingin menyejukkan khas granit hitam. Ia memilih shalat di sebalik tiang berbalut kuningan yang berukir ayat suci. Ia mencoba menghayati shalatnya. Tapi aneh. Kali ini, ia tak menemukan getar itu. Ia kehilangan kekhusyu’annya. Benar. Ia kehilangan semua perasaan itu. Tak ada ekstase. Tak ada kelezatan ruhani. Tak setitikpun air matanya sudi meleleh. Dalam sesal ia menguluk salam. Ke kanan, lalu ke kiri. Dan matanya menumbuk terjemah sebuah kaligrafi di dinding selatan. Terbaca olehnya, ”Barangsiapa mencari Allah, ia mendapatkan kekhusyu’an. Barangsiapa mengejar kekhusyu’an, ia kehilangan Allah.” ♥♥♥ Alangkah malang para penyembah kekhusyu’an. Khusyu’ menjadi tujuan, bukan sarana menuju Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’alaa. Maka perhatian utama dalam shalatnya terletak pada bagaimana caranya agar khusyu’, atau setidaknya terlihat khusyu’. Ayuhai, andai kau tahu bagaimana Sang Nabi dan sahabat-sahabatnya shalat. Mereka mendapatkan kekhusyu’an bukan karena mencarinya. Mereka khusyu’ karena shalat benar-benar perhentian dari aktivitas maha menguras di sepanjang jalan cinta para pejuang. Mereka khusyu’ karena payahnya diri dan kelelahan yang membelit melahirkan rasa kerdil dan penghambaan sejati. Seperti para penyembah Al Masih merumit-rumitkan trinitas ketuhanan, berhala kekhusyu’an juga sering disulit-sulitkan. Tak salah sebenarnya mengutip kisah bahwa ’Ali ibn Abi Thalib meminta dicabut panahnya ketika beliau shalat. Agar sakitnya tak terasa karena khusyu’ shalatnya. Tak salah juga meneladani ’Abbad ibn Bisyr yang tetap melanjutkan shalat meski satu demi satu anak panah mata-mata musuh menancap di tubuh. Tapi apakah hanya itu yang disebut khusyu’? Sang Nabi adalah manusia yang paling khusyu’. Dan alangkah indah kekhusyu’annya. Kekhusyu’an yang seringkali mempercepat shalat ketika terdengar olehnya tangis seorang bayi. Atau memperpendek bacaan saat menyadari kehadiran beberapa jompo dalam jama’ahnya. Kekhusyu’an yang tak menghalanginya menggendong Umamah binti Abil ’Ash atau Al Hasan ibn ’Ali dalam berdirinya dan meletakkan mereka ketika sujud. Kekhusyu’an yang membuat sujudnya begitu panjang karena Al Husain ibn ’Ali main kuda-kudaan di punggungnya. Sahabat, inilah jalan cinta para pejuang. Khusyu’ dan gelora kenikmatan ruhani hanyalah hiburan dan rehat, tempat kita mengisi kembali perbekalan dan melepas penat. Ini adalah jalan cinta para pejuang. Bukan jalan para pengejar kenikmatan ruhani, hingga harus mengulang-ulang takbiratul ihram sampai sang imam ruku’. Ini bukan jalan para penikmat kelaparan yang ketakutan berkumur saat puasa tapi diam saja menyaksikan kezhaliman. Juga bukan jalan penikmat Ka’bah yang kecanduan berhaji sementara fakir miskin lelah mengetuk pintu rumahnya yang selalu terkunci. Senarai sejarah memberi pelajaran tentang para pengejar kenikmatan ruhani. Mereka jauh terlempar dari jalan cinta ini. Ada yang merasa diri menjadi mukmin yang baik; karena bisa menangis saat shalat, bisa terharu saat membagi zakat, bisa berdzikir hingga hilang kesadaran saat berpuasa, atau berhaji setahun sekali; terbuta mereka dari dunia Islam yang serak memangil-manggil. Inilah mereka yang selalu bicara agama sebagai urusan pribadi. Urusan pribadi untuk menikmati kesyahduan spiritual. Bagi mereka, alangkah nikmatnya shalat khusyu’ di atas sajadah mahal, dalam ruangan berpendingin, dengan setting pemandangan yang bisa diatur berganti-ganti. Khusyu’ adalah menikmati bacaan imam bersertifikat dari audio premium, dalam hembusan harum parfum aromaterapi. Jauh di sana, di jalan cinta para pejuang, Sang Nabi shalat di sela-sela jihad menegakkan syari’at. Dengan debu, dengan darah, dengan lelah, dengan payah. Yang lain, mencari pelarian dari tekanan dunia yang menghimpit. Menikmati rasa tenteram karena dzikirnya, rasa melayang karena laparnya, rasa syahdu karena gigil tubuhnya. Ia bertapa dalam pakaian campingnya, hidup dalam kefakirannya, lalu merasa menjadi makhluq yang paling dicintai Allah. Tapi tak pernah wajahnya memerah ketika syari’at Allah dilecehkan. Tak pernah ia merasa terluka melihat kezhaliman. Tak pernah hatinya tergetar melihat nestapa sesama. Orang-orang semacam si Sufi dari Ganggoh. Dialah si burung unta yang merasa aman saat membenamkan kepalanya ke dalam pasir. Padahal tubuhnya terguguk tepat di depan pelupuk pemburu. Ekstase. Kenikmatan ruhani. Kekhusyu’an. Jangan kau kejar rasa itu. Dia bukan tuhanmu. Dan tak hanya seorang muslim yang beroleh kemungkinan merasakan ekstase macam itu. Tanyakan pada seorang beragama Budha, penganut Zen, Tao, atau praktikan Yoga. Merekapun mengalaminya lewat meditasi dan rerupa puja. Seorang Nasrani dari Ordo Fransiskan yang melarat merasakannya dalam pengembaraan bertelanjang kaki ala kemiskinan Kristus. Seorang Nasrani dari Ordo Benediktin yang mewah menikmatinya dalam mengoleksi relik-relik suci peninggalan para bapa gerejawi. Bukan itu. Bukan itu yang kita cari. Di jalan cinta para pejuang, berbaktilah pada Allah dalam kerja-kerja besar da’wah dan jihad. Menebar kebajikan, menghentikan kebiadaban, menyeru pada iman. Larilah hanya menujuNya. Meloncatlah hanya ke haribaanNya. Walau duri merantaskan kaki. Walau kerikil mencacah telapak. Sampai engkau lelah. Sampai engkau payah. Sampai keringat dan darah tumpah. Maka kekhusyu’an akan datang kepadamu ketika engkau beristirahat dalam shalat. Saat kau rasakan puncak kelemahan diri di hadapan Yang Maha Kuat. Lalu kaupun pasrah, berserah.. Saat itulah, engkau mungkin melihatNya, dan Dia pasti melihatmu.. sepenuh cinta, Salim A. Fillah Ekstase Mi’raj oleh Salim A. Fillah dalam Inspirasi. 

[tarihihakikatler]

Cebel i Tur “CEBEL EL-LAWZ” Güney Ürdün Sina yarımadasından farklı olmak üzere Orta ve Geç Tunç Çağı’nda Midyan diye adlandırılan bu bölgede gelişen bir Bedevi kültürü ve yerleşim görmekteyiz. Akabe'nin yaklaşık 110 km güneyinde al-Bad vahası. Medyen halkı volkanik bir dağ olan “jebel al lawz” dağının eteklerinde Al Bad antik kentinde yaşayan bir halktı. "Medyen, birçok pınarları, nehirleri, bahçeleri, hurma ağaçları bulunan, farklı etnik grupların yerleştiği çok kalabalık antik bir şehirdi." Medyen halkı arasında yıllarca kalmıştın. Sonra, ey Musa, peygamberlik görevini yüklenecek bir yaşa geldin. TAHA Suresi 40 Ve Medyen suyuna vardığı zaman, Orada bir kuyu, kuyunun etrafında sürülerini sulayan çobanlar vardı. KASAS Suresi 23 Zamanında Medyen, Tebuk'tan çok daha büyüktü. Ayrıca bu şehrin içinde, Musa'nın sürülerini suladığı kuyu dahi bulunmaktadır. Böylece Musa (A.S), süresini tamamladığı zaman ailesi ile (yürüyerek) yola çıktı. Tur dağı tarafında bir ateş farketti. Ailesine: "Durup bekleyin. Gerçekten ben bir ateş gördüm. Belki size oradan bir haber veya alevli bir ateş getiririm. Böylece siz de ısınasınız diye." dedi. Oraya geldiği zaman el Eymeni : sağ taraf vadinin sağ tarafından, mübarek yerdeki ağaçtan nida edildi: "Ey Musa! Muhakkak ki Ben, âlemlerin Rabbi yim." KASAS Suresi 29,30 Medyen den ayrılış istikametinde …cânibit tûri , Tur dağı tarafında , Cebel i Tur. Muciz, acz bırakan, imkansız, imkan, mümkün ile açıklanamaz mümkün dahilinde olmayan ki acz oluşturuyor açıklama aramak anlamsız lakin bazı deliller mevcut olabilir. Ve İsrailoğulları'nın Kızıldenizi geçişi Kızıldeniz in Medyen kolu tahmini geçiş bölgesinde dip te bulunan mısır savaş arabası kalıntıları. Sina yarımadası Mısır hakimiyeti altındadır (maden ocaklarının korunması için askerî garnizonlar kurmuşlardı. Yarımadanın güneybatısında kalıntıları bugün bile durmakta ) İsrail oğullarının Mısır’dan çıkması söz konusu. Geçtikleri deniz Kızıldeniz’in Sina dan önceki kolu değil, Sina dan sonraki deniz, Kızıldeniz’in Sina dan sonraki kolunu geçip Sina ‘nın karşı kıyısında Medyen bölgesindeki Tur dağı nın eteklerine ulaştılar. Tur dağı, Cebel i Tur, Kızıldeniz’in ikiye ayırdığı iki sed şeklindedir Sina tarafındaki sed , Turu Sina iken Medyen tarafındaki Cebel El-Lawz. Cebel el-Lawz eteklerinde, insan yapımı bir kaya sunak bulunmuştur. (Bu İsrailoğulları'nın denendiği altın buzağı sunağıdır.) sunağın üzerinde kaya resimlerinde sığır (sığır bu bölgenin yerel hayvanı değildir). ''Bu çizimler Mısır'da Apis ve Hator'a ait resimlerdir. ''Altın Buzağı Sunak Bölgesi'' Demişlerdi ki: "Musa bize geri gelinceye kadar ona (buzağıya) karşı bel büküp önünde eğilmekten kesinlikle ayrılmayacağız." Ta-Ha Suresi 91 ’’Rabbi dağa tecelli edince onu yerle bir etti, Dağın katılıkları eridi’’ A´raf 143 Kara -sanki yanmış- bir zirveye sahip. El-Lawz’ ın Cebel al lawz dağının ayetlerdeki Tur dağı olduğu anlaşılıyor. Bu Makla tepesindeki siyahlanmış kayayı kırmak oldukça zordur devasa granit örtüsü aniden Makla'nın koyu renkli zirvesi ile kesintiye uğrar, dağın tecelli olunan tepesi ve dağın iki zirvesi bulunur. Makla tepesinden doğuya bakıldığında, dağın sağ ayağında açık bir alan görülmektedir. Dağdan aşağı doğru akan bir nehir yatağı VadÎ-İ Eymen sağdaki vadi veye Vadi nin sağı, sağındaki tepe, nida gelen ağacın bulunduğu tepe. Tur Dağı'nda Eymen tepesi yada tarafında bulunan bir mağara ve Nuh tufanından, Tufan'dan kurtulmuş bir kavmin artık çocukları istilaya başladığında Biz, onlardan önce nice nesilleri helak ettik. (Onlar), kurtuluş-kaçış var mı diye sığınaklı beldeler oydular. [KAF(50)/36] Zu'l-Karneyn, önce Batı'ya gidiyor, sonra Batı'dan Doğu'ya İki dağ arasına; yani iki sedde ulaşmış, ahalisi demir ile uğraşan bir ülkeye demir ve demirciliğin eski zamanlardan beri yaygın olduğu yer, kendilerine zarar verenlerin şerrinden koruyacak bir set yapmasını taleb ediyorlar, Zu'l-Karneyn de bu seddi yapıyor. (Zu'l-Karneyn) dedi ki: " Ne zaman ki; Rabb'imin vaadi gelir, o engeli(seti) yerle bir eder. Rabb'imin vaadi gerçekleşir." Resulullah(s.a.v.) şöyle buyurmuştur: (seddi) her gün kazarak nihayet güneşin ışığını görmeye yaklaşınca, âmirleri geri dönün, kalanını yarın kazacağız', der. Allah da seddi, önceki gibi muhkem hâle getirir. Nihayet süreleri tamamlanıp, Allah, onları insanların üzerine göndermeyi dileyince her bir tepeden seller gibi akarcasına inip yeryüzüne dağılacaklardır, öylesine kalabalık bir topluluktur ki tüm yaşamı tüketebilirler. Onlardan birisi öldüğünde onu da yerler, "...Sonra Allah; İsa'ya kullarımı Tur Dağı'na doğru götür diye vahy edecek, ’’ bazı kullarımı çıkaracağım ki onlarla savaşmaya kimsenin gücü yetmez.’’ “ Kullarımı Tur dağı ve Eyle etrafında muhafaza et” Elath (Eyle) Eyle, Medine ile Şam arasında Akabe tarafı Tur dağının kuzeyi Sonra İsâ AS ellerini semaya kaldırır ve hepsi ölürler. Tur Dağı'nda Eymen tepesi yada tarafında bulunan mağarada iken İşte ondan sonra güneşin garb tan doğma vakti gelir. …Sonra yeryüzüne meyvelerini ve bereketini çıkar denilecek ve her taraf bereketlerle ve meyvelerle dolacak. Onlar yaşayıp giderken, Allah bir rüzgar gönderecek. Bu rüzgar, tüm müminlerin ruhunu alıp götürecektir. Bundan sonra yaşamakta bir fayda yoktur. Geri kalan insanlar, ulu orta her yerde çiftleşirler, insanların kötülükleri kalır. İyiliği bilmezler, kötülüğü inkar etmezler, ve Kıyamet onların üzerine kopacaktır." Sonra ikinci Sur üfürülür ve insanlar uyanırlar ve "Ey insanlar, Rabbinize koşun" denir. Adım adım izleri Bu alemden içeri On sekiz bin alemi Gördüm bir dağ içinde … Yunus eydür gezerim Dost iledir bazarım Ol Allah'ın didarın Gördüm bir dağ içinde

[zorogeoladies]

Ekstase Mi’raj oleh Salim A. Fillah dalam Inspirasi. 17/12/2011 Sekiranya ku menjadi Muhammad Takkan sudi ku beranjak ke bumi Setelah sampai di dekat ’Arsyi -’Abdul Quddus, Sufi Ganggoh- Buraq namanya. Maka ia serupa barq, kilat yang melesat dengan kecepatan cahaya. Malam itu diiring Jibril, dibawanya seorang Rasul mulia ke Masjidil Aqsha. Khadijah, isteri setia, lambang cinta penuh pengorbanan itu telah tiada. Demikian juga Abu Thalib, sang pelindung yang penuh kasih meski tetap enggan beriman. Ia sudah meninggal. Rasul itu berduka. Ia merasa sebatang kara. Ia merasa sendiri menghadapi gelombang pendustaan, penyiksaan, dan penentangan terhadap seruan sucinya yang kian meningkat seiring bergantinya hari. Ia merasa sepi. Maka Allah hendak menguatkannya. Allah memperlihatkan kepadanya sebagian dari tanda kuasaNya. Buraq namanya. Ia diikat di pintu Masjid Al Aqsha ketika seluruh Nabi dan Rasul berhimpun di sana. Mereka shalat. Dan penumpangnya itu kini mengimami mereka semua. Tetapi dari sini Sang Nabi berangkat untuk perjalanan yang menyejarah. Disertai Jibril ia naik ke langit, memasuki lapis demi lapis. Bertemu Adam, Yahya serta ’Isa, Yusuf, Idris, Harun, Musa, dan Ibrahim. Lalu terus ke Sidratul Muntaha, Baitul Ma’mur, dan naik lagi menghadap Allah hingga jaraknya kurang dari dua ujung busur. Allah membuka tabirNya.. Allah.. Allah.. Jika melihat Yusuf yang tampan sudah membuat jari para wanita teriris mati rasa, apa gerangan rasa melihat Sang Pencipta yang Maha Indah? Atau katakan padaku shahabat, apa yang kau rasakan saat melihat Ka’bah yang mulia untuk pertama kalinya? Ya, sebuah ekstase. Kita haru. Kita syahdu. Air mata menitik. Raga terasa ringan. Jiwa kita penuh. Mulut kita ternganga. Maka apa kira-kira yang dirasakan Muhammad, Shallallaahu ’Alaihi wa Sallam ketika ia mi’raj bertemu Rabbnya? Kesyahduan. Keterpesonaan. Kesejukan. Kenikmatan ruhani. Kelegaan jiwa. Tiada tara. Tiada tara. Tiada tara. Demi Allah, alangkah indahnya, betapa nikmatnya.. Maka ada benarnya Sufi Ganggoh itu. Di saat mengalami puncak kenikmatan ruhani itu, tentu ada goda untuk bertahan lama-lama di sana. Kalau bisa, kita ingin menikmatinya selamanya. Atau setidaknya mengulanginya. Lagi dan lagi. Kesyahduan yang tak terlukiskan, ruhani yang terasa penuh, berkecipak, mengalun. Jiwa yang terpana bagaikan titik air menyatu dengan samudera, kedirian kita hilang lenyap ditelan kemuliaan dan keagungan Ilahi. Kita ingin mereguknya, menyesapnya, lalu rebah, dipeluk, direngkuh, dan menyandarkan hati di situ saja. Selama-lamanya. Kenikmatan ruhani. Kekhusyu’an batin. Kita pasti ingin menikmatinya selalu. Kita menghasratkannya tiap waktu. Tetapi justru di situlah salahnya. Justru di situlah kekeliruan terbesar kita. Coba tengok perjalanan mi’raj Sang Nabi. Ia tidak terjadi setiap hari. Ia terjadi sekali, hanya ketika deraan rasa sakit, badai kepiluan, dan himpitan beban telah melampaui daya tahan kemanusiaan. Ia terjadi ketika sang Rasul merasakan puncak kepayahan jiwa; da’wah yang ditolak, seruan yang diabaikan, pengikut yang tak seberapa, sahabat-sahabat yang disiksa, dan para penyokong utama satu demi satu mencukupkan usia. Maka satu hal yang kita maknai dari perjalanan mi’raj adalah, bahwa ia sekedar sebuah waqfah. Ia sebuah perhentian sejenak. Sebuah oase tempat Sang Nabi mengisi ulang bekal perjalanannya. Bekal perjuangannya. Mi’raj bukanlah titik akhir dari perjalanan itu. Merasakan kenikmatan ruhani yang dahsyat bukanlah tujuan dari perjalanan hidup dan risalahnya. Itulah yang membuat Sang Nabi dan Sang Sufi dari Ganggoh bertolak belakang. Jika Sang Sufi memandang ekstase kenikmatan ruhani itu sebagai tujuan hidupnya, Sang Nabi sekedar menjadikannya sebuah rehat. Sejenak mengambil kembali energi ruhani, mengisi ulang stamina jiwa. Sesudah itu dunia menantinya untuk berkarya bagi kemanusiaan. Dan iapun, kata Muhammad Iqbal dalam Ziarah Abadi, menyisipkan diri ke kancah zaman. Padaku malaikat menawarkan, ”Tinggallah di langit ini, bersama syahdu sujud-sujud kami Bersama kenikmatan-kenikmatan suci” ”Tidak!”, kataku, ”Di bumi masih ada angkara aniaya Di sanalah aku mengabdi, berkarya, berkorban Hingga batas waktu yang telah ditentukan.” Inilah jalan cinta para pejuang. Para penitinya bukanlah para pengejar ekstase dan kenikmatan ruhani. Mereka adalah pejuang yang mengajak pada kebaikan, memerintahkan yang ma’ruf, mencegah yang munkar, dan beriman kepada Allah. Dalam kerja-kerja besar itu, terkadang mereka merasa lelah, merasa lemah, merasa terkuras. Maka Allah menyiapkan mi’raj bagi mereka. Sang Nabi yang cinta dan kerja da’wahnya tiada tara itu memang mendapat mi’raj istimewa; langsung menghadap Allah ’Azza wa Jalla. Kita, para pengikutnya, berbahagia mendapat sabdanya, ”Saat mi’raj seorang mukmin adalah shalat!” Shalat, kata Sayyid Quthb, adalah hubungan langsung antara manusia yang fana dan kekuatan yang abadi. Ia adalah waktu yang telah dipilih untuk pertemuan setetes air yang terputus dengan sumber yang tak pernah kering. Ia adalah kunci perbendaharaan yang mencukupi, memuaskan, dan melimpah. Ia adalah pembebasan dari batas-batas realita bumi yang kecil menuju realita alam raya. Ia adalah angin, embun, dan awan di siang hari di siang hari bolong nan terik. Ia adalah sentuhan yang lembut pada hati yang letih dan payah. Maka shalat adalah rehat. Ketika tulang-tulang terasa berlolosan dalam jihad, rasa kebas di otot dan kulit berkuah keringat, Sang Nabi bersabda pada muadzinnya, ”Yaa Bilal, Arihna bish shalaah.. Hai Bilal, istirahatkan kami dengan shalat!” Berhala Kekhusyu’an Seorang musafir berhenti di sebuah Masjid. Ia lelah, gerah, penat, pegal, dan pening. Terlebih, sepanjang jalan ia merasa sepi di tengah ramai, dan asing di tengah khalayak. Di masjid itu ia menemukan ketenangan. Wudhunya serasa membasuh seluruh jiwa raga. Ketika air itu menyapu, ia seperti bisa melihat noktah-noktah hitam dosanya luntur berleleran, mengalir hanyut bersama air. Dalam shalatnya ia benar-benar merasa berdiri di hadapan Sang Pencipta. Tiap bacaannya seolah dijawab olehNya. Ia merasakan getar keagungan. Ini pertama kalinya ia bisa terisak-isak dalam sujudnya. Hatinya diselimuti perasaan tenteram, sejuk, penuh makna. Dia merasakan sebuah ekstase. Saat lain ia lewat di masjid itu. Ia memang sengaja ingin shalat di sana. Ia rindu kekhusyu’annya. Masjid ini memancarkan keagungan. Pilar-pilarnya tegak kokoh, berlapis marmer kelabu. Kolom-kolom setengah lingkarannya manis dengan ukiran geometris. Lampu-lampunya remang dibingkai logam mengilat bersegi delapan. Lantainya lembut menyambut tiap sujud, dingin menyejukkan khas granit hitam. Ia memilih shalat di sebalik tiang berbalut kuningan yang berukir ayat suci. Ia mencoba menghayati shalatnya. Tapi aneh. Kali ini, ia tak menemukan getar itu. Ia kehilangan kekhusyu’annya. Benar. Ia kehilangan semua perasaan itu. Tak ada ekstase. Tak ada kelezatan ruhani. Tak setitikpun air matanya sudi meleleh. Dalam sesal ia menguluk salam. Ke kanan, lalu ke kiri. Dan matanya menumbuk terjemah sebuah kaligrafi di dinding selatan. Terbaca olehnya, ”Barangsiapa mencari Allah, ia mendapatkan kekhusyu’an. Barangsiapa mengejar kekhusyu’an, ia kehilangan Allah.” ♥♥♥ Alangkah malang para penyembah kekhusyu’an. Khusyu’ menjadi tujuan, bukan sarana menuju Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’alaa. Maka perhatian utama dalam shalatnya terletak pada bagaimana caranya agar khusyu’, atau setidaknya terlihat khusyu’. Ayuhai, andai kau tahu bagaimana Sang Nabi dan sahabat-sahabatnya shalat. Mereka mendapatkan kekhusyu’an bukan karena mencarinya. Mereka khusyu’ karena shalat benar-benar perhentian dari aktivitas maha menguras di sepanjang jalan cinta para pejuang. Mereka khusyu’ karena payahnya diri dan kelelahan yang membelit melahirkan rasa kerdil dan penghambaan sejati. Seperti para penyembah Al Masih merumit-rumitkan trinitas ketuhanan, berhala kekhusyu’an juga sering disulit-sulitkan. Tak salah sebenarnya mengutip kisah bahwa ’Ali ibn Abi Thalib meminta dicabut panahnya ketika beliau shalat. Agar sakitnya tak terasa karena khusyu’ shalatnya. Tak salah juga meneladani ’Abbad ibn Bisyr yang tetap melanjutkan shalat meski satu demi satu anak panah mata-mata musuh menancap di tubuh. Tapi apakah hanya itu yang disebut khusyu’? Sang Nabi adalah manusia yang paling khusyu’. Dan alangkah indah kekhusyu’annya. Kekhusyu’an yang seringkali mempercepat shalat ketika terdengar olehnya tangis seorang bayi. Atau memperpendek bacaan saat menyadari kehadiran beberapa jompo dalam jama’ahnya. Kekhusyu’an yang tak menghalanginya menggendong Umamah binti Abil ’Ash atau Al Hasan ibn ’Ali dalam berdirinya dan meletakkan mereka ketika sujud. Kekhusyu’an yang membuat sujudnya begitu panjang karena Al Husain ibn ’Ali main kuda-kudaan di punggungnya. Sahabat, inilah jalan cinta para pejuang. Khusyu’ dan gelora kenikmatan ruhani hanyalah hiburan dan rehat, tempat kita mengisi kembali perbekalan dan melepas penat. Ini adalah jalan cinta para pejuang. Bukan jalan para pengejar kenikmatan ruhani, hingga harus mengulang-ulang takbiratul ihram sampai sang imam ruku’. Ini bukan jalan para penikmat kelaparan yang ketakutan berkumur saat puasa tapi diam saja menyaksikan kezhaliman. Juga bukan jalan penikmat Ka’bah yang kecanduan berhaji sementara fakir miskin lelah mengetuk pintu rumahnya yang selalu terkunci. Senarai sejarah memberi pelajaran tentang para pengejar kenikmatan ruhani. Mereka jauh terlempar dari jalan cinta ini. Ada yang merasa diri menjadi mukmin yang baik; karena bisa menangis saat shalat, bisa terharu saat membagi zakat, bisa berdzikir hingga hilang kesadaran saat berpuasa, atau berhaji setahun sekali; terbuta mereka dari dunia Islam yang serak memangil-manggil. Inilah mereka yang selalu bicara agama sebagai urusan pribadi. Urusan pribadi untuk menikmati kesyahduan spiritual. Bagi mereka, alangkah nikmatnya shalat khusyu’ di atas sajadah mahal, dalam ruangan berpendingin, dengan setting pemandangan yang bisa diatur berganti-ganti. Khusyu’ adalah menikmati bacaan imam bersertifikat dari audio premium, dalam hembusan harum parfum aromaterapi. Jauh di sana, di jalan cinta para pejuang, Sang Nabi shalat di sela-sela jihad menegakkan syari’at. Dengan debu, dengan darah, dengan lelah, dengan payah. Yang lain, mencari pelarian dari tekanan dunia yang menghimpit. Menikmati rasa tenteram karena dzikirnya, rasa melayang karena laparnya, rasa syahdu karena gigil tubuhnya. Ia bertapa dalam pakaian campingnya, hidup dalam kefakirannya, lalu merasa menjadi makhluq yang paling dicintai Allah. Tapi tak pernah wajahnya memerah ketika syari’at Allah dilecehkan. Tak pernah ia merasa terluka melihat kezhaliman. Tak pernah hatinya tergetar melihat nestapa sesama. Orang-orang semacam si Sufi dari Ganggoh. Dialah si burung unta yang merasa aman saat membenamkan kepalanya ke dalam pasir. Padahal tubuhnya terguguk tepat di depan pelupuk pemburu. Ekstase. Kenikmatan ruhani. Kekhusyu’an. Jangan kau kejar rasa itu. Dia bukan tuhanmu. Dan tak hanya seorang muslim yang beroleh kemungkinan merasakan ekstase macam itu. Tanyakan pada seorang beragama Budha, penganut Zen, Tao, atau praktikan Yoga. Merekapun mengalaminya lewat meditasi dan rerupa puja. Seorang Nasrani dari Ordo Fransiskan yang melarat merasakannya dalam pengembaraan bertelanjang kaki ala kemiskinan Kristus. Seorang Nasrani dari Ordo Benediktin yang mewah menikmatinya dalam mengoleksi relik-relik suci peninggalan para bapa gerejawi. Bukan itu. Bukan itu yang kita cari. Di jalan cinta para pejuang, berbaktilah pada Allah dalam kerja-kerja besar da’wah dan jihad. Menebar kebajikan, menghentikan kebiadaban, menyeru pada iman. Larilah hanya menujuNya. Meloncatlah hanya ke haribaanNya. Walau duri merantaskan kaki. Walau kerikil mencacah telapak. Sampai engkau lelah. Sampai engkau payah. Sampai keringat dan darah tumpah. Maka kekhusyu’an akan datang kepadamu ketika engkau beristirahat dalam shalat. Saat kau rasakan puncak kelemahan diri di hadapan Yang Maha Kuat. Lalu kaupun pasrah, berserah.. Saat itulah, engkau mungkin melihatNya, dan Dia pasti melihatmu.. sepenuh cinta, Salim A. Fillah

[junker-town]

The 7 goals of World Cup Day 9, ranked

There was not a bad goal in the bunch today.

Every day here at the World Cup, we look back on the goals of the day and rank them to our choosing. We are the goal tastemakers, you see, and we want to pass along our taste in wonderful goals.

Usually we have to kind of cobble together a list, as this World Cup has featured plenty of own goals and penalty kicks. None of that cobbling today. Today there were just beautiful goals. Let’s rank them.

7. Neymar’s dagger vs. Costa Rica

#MundialTelemundo ¡Para sellar la victoria! @neymarjr le ponte punto final al marcador de #BRA sobre #CRC y así lo narra @AndresCantorGOL pic.twitter.com/GX5PFPjTLN

— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 22, 2018

It took 91 minutes for Brazil to break their deadlock with Costa Rica, and just six minutes for them to double their lead. Both happened in added time, and while this is a tidy bit of play that results in a Neymar finish (and a goal it sure looked like he needed), Costa Rica was throwing men forward at that point and not defending as they should have been. Still, any other day this would be a great goal. It’s just today was all great goals.

6. Coutinho’s breakthrough vs. Costa Rica

#MundialTelemundo ¡Agónico! El gol de @Phil_Coutinho para darle el triunfo a #BRA sobre #CRC pic.twitter.com/ONHgAb8QR0

— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 22, 2018

Yes, both Brazil goals are at the end of our list, but really, when all the goals are brilliant, as they were today, someone has to pay the price. This isn’t to knock on Coutinho, who did wonderfully to snap into the box and get his toe on the end of a bit of great play from Brazil. But, well, just wait until you see the rest of these goals.

5. Mitrovic’s snap header vs. Switzerland

#MundialTelemundo ¡Gol tempranero! Aleksandar Mitrovic ya tiene la frente a #SRB sobre #SUI y así lo narra @sadovnik1965 pic.twitter.com/nyP63mDwf6

— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 22, 2018

This is the World Cup of the Absolute Units, and Aleksandar Mitrovic is absolutely one of them. The cross in is great, but Mitrovic elevating and then generating the power to send that ball in the net is just ridiculous. What a wonderful goal.

4. Ahmed Musa’s second vs. Iceland

#MundialTelemundo ¿Asunto definido? @Ahmedmusa718 pone doblete y enfila el triunfo de #NGA sobre #ISL . Así lo narra @ErasmoProvenza pic.twitter.com/ujGV4DmYc0

— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 22, 2018

Look at the freaking pace of Musa here to not only beat his man down the wing, but to cut it in front of him, dance around the goalie, and finish calmly. Iceland had to commit men forward when they went down a goal, and as soon as they did that, it was over for them. They didn’t have anyone who could stay with Musa.

3. Shaqiri’s breakaway and tidy finish vs. Serbia

#MundialTelemundo ¡Héroe sobre la hora! @XS_11official le está dando el triunfo a #SUI sobre #SRB pic.twitter.com/3MCmLToIDe

— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 22, 2018

Our beautiful, squat, brawny boy did it. I have no idea why that Serbian defender was trying to set an offside trap on his own half of the field, as such a thing is impossible to do, but don’t discount how Shaqiri still took his chance here ... holding off the defender, goading the goalie out, then finishing beautifully.

2. Musa’s beautiful first touch and finish vs. Iceland

#MundialTelemundo ¡Alegría en #ARG! Anota @Ahmedmusa718 para el 1-0 de #NGA sobre #ISL en la voz de @ErasmoProvenza pic.twitter.com/T9TrnMgemr

— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 22, 2018

This first touch is absolutely ridiculous. Who takes a first touch like that in that space, with that pressure on, from that ball? Wild. Absolutely wild.

1. Xhaka’s bomb vs. Serbia

#MundialTelemundo ¡Golazo! Granit Xhaka pone en la pelea a #SUI y le da el empate ante #SRB . Así lo narró @sadovnik1965 pic.twitter.com/rGLDcOmTRK

— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 22, 2018

I already wrote a bit about this goal, but just to reiterate.

He crushed it.

Ivanovic was smart to duck out of the way, because he was going to lose his head if he didn’t.

That’s a great group of goals right there. Let’s hope we get a lot more like them tomorrow.

[tipsoctopus]

£14m per player: Man City & United major players in seismic rise of average transfer fees

All stats from Transfermarkt unless otherwise stated.

When the summer transfer window closed, clubs in the Premier League had spent a total of £1.3 billion, per Transfermarkt.

Let that sink in for a second. £1.3 billion. A Futurism article in 2014 claimed that the human brain cannot comprehend the number, one billion, in its raw form. It’s not possible.

And yet, this is the fifth transfer window in a row in which clubs have spent more than £1bn. Spending continues unchecked at the top-flight.

It feels slightly remiss to be writing this in a week in which Bury Football Club has ceased to exist due to a lack of funds, while Bolton Wanderers, a club formerly of the Premier League and one who reached the last-16 of the UEFA Cup just 11 years ago, were only saved by a last-minute reprieve.

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And yet, the spending has to be examined. How much have clubs spent since 2010/11? How much does the average player cost?

The answer, genuinely, is astonishing.

In 2010/11, the most expensive deal saw Yaya Toure move to Manchester City from FC Barcelona for £27m. The total money spent by clubs in the top-flight was £385.2m on 104 players. The average cost of a Premier League player that summer was £3.7m.

Since then, the cost has, for want of a better phrase, rocketed.

In 2011/12, clubs spent £487.9m, with Sergio Aguero the most expensive acquisition at a fee of £36m. A total of 119 players transferred that summer, at an average of £4.1m.

It keeps going at that rate – 2012/13 saw £559.1m spent on 132 players at an average of £4.2m, while 2013/14 was £666.7m at an average of £5.1m on 130 players.

Then something happened.

In 2014/15, 140 players were bought at a total cost of £949.8m. To look back on that window is to see a litany of stars coming to the Premier League to varying degrees of success: Chelsea bought Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas for a combined £63.9m; Arsenal spent £38.2m on Alexis Sanchez; Everton spent £31.8m on Romelu Lukaku; Liverpool bought Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Lazar Markovic for fees over £20m; Manchester City spent over £40m on Eliaquim Mangala; Manchester United spent £67.5m on Angel Di Maria and a combined £66.1m on Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera; even Southampton spent over £20m on Sadio Mane.

The average of that window rocketed to an average of £6.7m.

And then the billion-pound dam broke. It was inevitable, really. Perhaps the bubble will burst eventually, perhaps it will all come crashing down around us, but it hasn’t happened yet, and 15/16 was the first window in which the mark was passed.

A total of 136 players were transferred at an average of £7.9m – more than double the average in 2010/11. Manchester City spent over £40m on three players – Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Otamendi – in the same window, while Manchester United spent over £30m on Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Anthony Martial. Judging teams by their recruitment is tough but, well, that speaks for itself, really.

Liverpool, too, spent over £30m on both Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke. Only four clubs went the entire window without spending over £10m on one player: Norwich City, Watford, Swansea City and Leicester City. The Foxes did spend £8.1m on one little-known Frenchman, though: N’Golo Kante. With the diminutive, combative, relentless and stoic enforcer dominating elite midfielders on a weekly basis, the Foxes went on to win the title in one of the greatest sporting miracles ever witnessed the season after. Bargain of the century, anyone?

As if in response to that underdog triumph, spending increased to £1.2bn in 2016/17 – an average of £10.1m from 121 transfers.

The list of transfers that summer, really, is quite staggering.

Leicester, having been so frugal the season before, lavished over £65m on the likes of Islam Slimani, Ahmed Musa and Nampalys Mendy. Arsenal spent almost £80m on Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi (stop laughing). Spurs spent £74m on Moussa Sissoko, Vincent Janssen, Victor Wanyama and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou. Manchester City splashed over £160m on the likes of John Stones (cagoule and all), Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan.

Manchester United then broke the world transfer record as they re-signed Paul Pogba for £94.5m in a deal that encapsulated the perpetually rising lunacy of the market.

Southampton and West Ham both spent over £40m. Liverpool splashed £71.9m on the likes of Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum. Chelsea bought Kante, Michy Batshuayi, David Luiz, Marcos Alonso and Eduardo for nearly £120m.

Only Middlesbrough failed to spend £10m on a single player.

And then, in 2017/18, spending hit the zenith of £1.4bn, still the highest spend in one summer transfer window in Premier League history. The average rose to £12m for a Premier League player, over three times the initial average of 2010/11.

Chelsea frittered away nearly £60m on Alvaro Morata, Spurs spent over £80m on the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Serge Aurier and Manchester City broke the £200m barrier on their own, buying the likes of Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva. Manchester United spent over £75m on Romelu Lukaku and Liverpool spent £37m on Mohamed Salah. In retrospect, that looks like terrific business.

It may have decreased in 18/19 – £1.2bn was spent at an average of £11.6m on 110 players – but it is creeping up again.

In 2019/20, in which even Spurs splashed over £50m on Tanguy Ndombele, the average now stands at £14m after £1.3bn was lavished on just 97 players.

Premier League clubs are not alone in this. The world record transfer was conducted between PSG and Barcelona when the former bought Neymar for over £200m.

But the numbers, when written down, are stark and the average cost of a single player, as illustrated in the graph above, looks set to continue to rise.

Since the start of 2010/11’s summer transfer window, £9.4bn has been spent on football players by Premier League clubs. The total average price of a Premier League player in that time is £7.7m.

To say that it cannot continue is flippant and, well, wrong.

Premier League football operates in its own microbubble, an island to itself, one which operates on its own terms independently from the rest of the financial world.

Nowhere else can one see such rampant expenditure. And yet it is the source of debate and speculation and, ultimately, feeds a thriving industry. Without the transfers, this article wouldn’t exist.

Maybe, at the end of the day, that would be a good thing. These numbers are sobering in the context of the events of the past week.

Trickle-down economics is clearly not, and never has been a thing, but spare a thought for Bury Football Club – now deceased – the next time your club splashes their flagrant wealth.

And maybe, just maybe, we should all despair.

from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/2Zy6mh3 via IFTTT from Blogger https://ift.tt/2UkEtUD via IFTTT

[earthstory]

The Siq

Slot canyons are formed in arid environments by the action of flash floods eroding weak spot in the rock as discussed in a recent post at http://tinyurl.com/n2omlae. One of the most famous in the world is the Siq (Arabic for the shaft), that leads from a wide valley through a highly defensible defile for 1.2km into the ancient and deserted Nabataean city of Petra, in modern Jordan. The slot narrows down to 3 metres at several locations, providing several choke points where attackers can be cut off and overwhelmed from above. Unlike most slot canyons, that follow joints formed in the rock as the pressure of the overlying strata was removed by surface erosion, the Siq follows a tectonic fault in the rocks that was a natural channel for runoff to follow, smoothing the sides in the characteristic pattern of aqueous erosion. The height of the canyon walls varied from 90-180 metres. The fault is part of a complex series on the edge of the Arabian plate, in a transform fault segment of the northern end of the Great African rift that also formed the Dead Sea. The area is still at risk of major earthquakes, and the city was gradually abandoned after a devastating quake in 363CE.

Petra developed in an arid area, and its management of water resources could teach us a helpful thing or two in the times of erratic changing rainfall patterns and droughts that are predicted to increase with climate change. The entrance to the Siq had a dam barring its mouth, re-channelling the flow of Wadi Musa, a dry channel subject to slash flooding when rains drench the area, allowing the canyon to become the main caravan entrance into the city and protecting the whole area from erosion.

This water was not wasted, but channelled along with runoff from a wide area into a massive system of over 200 cisterns around and under the city, carved out of the living rock. This provided enough water for a city of an estimated population at its height of 20,000. Researchers are only beginning to decipher its complexity, including reshaping of rockfaces and creating channel systems all over the city to funnel the water away from the inhabited areas and into the reservoirs.

Petra's wealth was built on becoming a hinge in a series of strategic trade routes, that often followed multiple paths across barren areas. These included being one terminus of the silk linking the ancient world with India and China, with silks and wine travelling back and forth. Another critical one was the north south trade routes importing gold, slaves and ivory out of Africa and spices and incense from Arabia to feed the voracious appetites of the Hellenic (such as Ptolemaic Egypt) and later Roman empires. It was established by the 3rd century BCE, but saw its apogee in the first century BCE before being conquered by Rome in her strategy of expansion into the weak frontier that Freya Stark described in her book Rome on the Euphrates.

The rocky basement consists of Precambrian granites, gneiss and schists, overlain by the Cambrian Nubian sandstones resting unconformably on the crystalline rocks, whose lowest and oldest layer, shot through with diverse amounts of iron and manganese oxide minerals, was carved out into the city's impressive monuments. The rocks are quartz rich and the coloured oxides are in the matrix between the grains, giving a hue ranging from red, through yellow to chocolate brown. The sandstone was once sediment left behind by a braided stream complex in the Palaeozoic at a tropical latitude. A thin layer of marine limestone caps some of the highest areas of the city.

When the city was abandoned, the water channelling system gradually fell into disrepair, leading to higher rates of erosion that persist to this day, exacerbated by problems such as salt erosion due to irrigation. Only the enigmatic carved buildings such as the treasury in the photo, the first sight that greets any visitor as they emerge from the Siq testify to this once vibrant crossroads between the four corners of the known world.

Loz

Image credit: https://flic.kr/p/7AU7eS

http://www.abdullahsuleiman.com/ http://nabataea.net/siq.html http://www.geotimes.org/june04/feature_petra.html http://www.andrewsi.freeserve.co.uk/jordan-geology.htm