text:
Sīdī Shaqrūn’s Loathing of Melons is Cured

Detail of an 18th century ceremonial scarf with floral and vegetal patterns from Tétouan (Cleveland Museum of Art 1916.830)

The subject of this biographical entry [Sīdī Shaqrūn, d. 1028/1618/9] also met with the perfect shaykh Sīdī ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ḥusayn in Tameslouht [a village south of Marrakesh], and when he sat down in front of the shaykh, the shaykh gazed at him then called for some melon. Now, Sīdī Shaqrūn used to not eat melon, and wasn’t even able to smell its scent, loathing it with an innate loathing of which he could not disabuse himself, so he was bewildered by that but was not able to gainsay the shaykh. Then when the melon was placed in front of him [the shaykh] ordered him to eat it, he breathed out of his nose a powerful gust of air, to which the shaykh said: ‘That is his shayṭān hatching out,’ meaning, breaking out of his heart. Then he ate it in accordance with the shaykh’s command, and from that day forward he was able to eat melon without any problem, none of his innate aversion remaining.

Abū ʿAbdallāh Muḥammad al-Ṣaghīr al-Ifrānī, Ṣafwat man intashar min akhbār ṣulaḥāʾ al-qarn al-ḥādī ʻashar (Casablanca: Markaz al-Turāth al-Thaqāfī al-Maghribī, 2004), 122. Continue reading “Sīdī Shaqrūn’s Loathing of Melons is Cured”

The Funduq Saint of Fez: ‘Abd al-Majīd and His Exceptional Acts of Devotion

As far as I can tell, the ‘Abd al-Majīd Funduq is no longer extant; however, it may have resembled in general plan and ornamentation this early 18th century example, Funduq Ṣāgha, pictured here from my visit in the spring of 2008.

Early modern Islamic religious life across Afro-Eurasia was marked by many trends and developments with roots in the medieval period but which took on new and often surprising forms in the following centuries. One of the most important trends was the explosive growth of devotion to Muḥammad, growth both in terms of apparent overall popularity but also, and more objectively measurable, growth in the number of textual instruments, ritual practices, and social settings oriented towards Muḥammad-centered devotion. Alongside this growth in devotion was another trend that does not at first glance seem related, namely, the continued flourishing and adaptive transformations of ‘deviant’ mendicant piety, the sort exemplified in the late medieval period by the Qalandar and other types of ‘radical’ dervishes, and in the early modern particularly by the majdhūb. Such forms of ascetic practice and aspiration to sainthood often eschewed compliance with the sharī’a, or at the very least transgressed many social norms in a deliberate fashion.

The following saint’s life, preserved in a seventeenth compilation of outstanding holy or learned (or both) lives, comes from Morocco, Fez to be precise, and embraces both of the above trends in early modern Islamic religious life. The saint, Sīdī ‘Abd al-Majīd, was acclaimed a saint, at least according to our author al-Ifrānī, because of his incredible, indeed super-human, devotion to the Prophet of Islam. The first few paragraphs of his life, the entirety of which I have translated here, lay out his acts of devotion and his saintly inner states, including the curious detail that his ecstatic remembrance of Muḥammad took place even in the latrine- a detail which hints at a somewhat non-normative manner of life. It is in the following paragraphs that we are given further indications that ‘Abd al-Majīd was not universally admired and that his mode of life had many parallels with that of the ‘deviant’ dervishes better known from the Islamic East. But before we consider just what kind of a saint he was, it would be better to read his life as al-Ifrānī has described it:

Among them, the well-known saint and great gnostic Sīdī ‘Abd al-Majīd ibn Abī al-Qāsim al-Bādisī: he was originally from the Rif [1], from the region of the Banū Yaṭifat; he was of the Malāmatiyya, and dwelled in the funduq [2] associated with him north of the Qarawiyyīn Mosque, which is now known as the Funduq of Sīdī ‘Abd al-Majīd. He practiced numerous prayers upon the Prophet, God bless him and give him peace, constantly devoted to him and to prayers upon him, of immense affection towards him, enraptured in love of him, and of great love towards the Folk of the House [3]. And whenever he commenced with invocation of blessings upon the Prophet, God bless him and give him peace, he would begin with saying: ‘I take refuge in God from Shayṭān the accursed. In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate: verily, God and His angels pronounce blessings upon the Prophet—O you who believe, pronounce blessings upon him and ask for him peace!’ He would complete this arrangement in good order, letter by letter, then say: ‘O God, bless Muḥammad!’ then ecstasy would overwhelm him and he would simply cry out, ‘Muḥammad! Muḥammad!’ He did not cease remembrance of him standing or sitting, in whatever condition he was in, even in the latrine (bayt al-khalā’). It was said to him, ‘Do you mention him in the latrine?’ He replied, ‘It dwells, O brother,’ meaning, perhaps, love [of Muḥammad], but God knows best. Continue reading “The Funduq Saint of Fez: ‘Abd al-Majīd and His Exceptional Acts of Devotion”

‘Abd Allāh al-Salāsī Escapes a Toxic Environment and Is Not Going Back

Concerning the pious master of uncontested miracles, Shaykh Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd Allāh ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Khālidī al-Salāsī (d. 1023/1614), known as Ibn Ḥassūn: his origin, God be merciful to him, was from Salās, a group of villages a day’s journey out from Fes; then he moved to Salé. The reason for his journey to Salé was that there was fighting and war among the people of Salās, and if the people of Sīdī ‘Abd Allāh’s village were victorious he rejoiced, but if they fled in defeat he was saddened. So he thought to himself and said: ‘Loving victory produces [in me] love of evil towards Muslims, and by God’s covenant I cannot stay in a place wherein Muslims are so divided and wish evil upon them.’

So he traveled from there to Salé, and when he settled in Salé people from Salās came to him and attempted to induce his return to their land, urging him strongly to do so. But he took a drinking vessel and filled it with sea-water then set it down. He said to them, ‘Does not the water of the sea crash together, its waves constantly colliding? Why then is this portion of the sea in this drinking vessel still?’

They replied, ‘It is no longer in the sea.’ So he said to them, ‘Exile purifies and makes still.’ They understood his meaning and so gave up on trying [to get him to return].

Abū ʿAbdallāh Muḥammad al-Ṣaghīr al-Ifrānī, Ṣafwat man intashar min akhbār ṣulaḥāʾ al-qarn al-ḥādī ʻashar (Casablanca: Markaz al-Turāth al-Thaqāfī al-Maghribī, 2004), 65-66.

(Image at top: Detail of a decorative mattress component, from the 17th or 18th century Rif region of Morocco, probably Chefchaouen, in the general vicinity of the region in which part of the below story takes place (Cleveland Museum of Art 1916.1226))

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‘Alī ibn Muḥammad al-‘Āmilī and the Aggressive Meccan Tour Guide

An eighteenth century Safavid depiction of the Ka’ba, around which our story’s protagonist wanted to circumambulate; here Majnūn and his father behold the sacred precints. From a copy of the Khamsa of Niẓāmī Ganjavī (Walters W.609).

Probably for as long as there have been pilgrims and tourists (with the line between the two categories often indistinct) there have been people who sought to make a living off of pilgrims and tourists, through means both licit and less so. Tour guides in both the form of written (and often illustrated) manuals and in the form of individuals knowledgeable of a given site are both venerable features of travel from the medieval world to the present. And just as most travelers in the present, self included, have had both good and bad experiences with guides, a range of responses to guides and guidance, solicited or not, can be found in the historical record.

The story translated below, which comes from the autobiographical section of a work by the Safavid Shi’i scholar ‘Alī ibn Muḥammad al-‘Āmilī (d. 1692), reflects the sometimes tense encounters pilgrims and tourists down to the present (well, pre-covid at least!) can have with self-appointed tour guides and their claims of expertise. The story takes place when a sixteen year old ‘Alī, whose family was from the important Shi’i center of learning Jabal ʿĀmil (located in what is now Lebanon), made the ḥajj for the first time, a few years after the death of his father. His story is largely self-explanatory (though see this helpful essay and images for background on the rituals and sites of the ḥajj if they are unfamiliar), and will no doubt resonate with any reader who has had a similar unpleasant experience negotiating unsolicited offers of guidance in a new place.

Ardabil Carpet

When I entered Mecca the Noble I preceded in front of the ḥajj caravan along with a couple of companions, riding mules from ‘Usfān [1]. When I reached Mecca the Noble I went to the Ḥaram in order to perform the ritual circumambulation (ṭawāf) of the ‘umrah (the ‘minor pilgrimage’). I was alone. First, I circled around al-Bayt al-Ḥarām so that I would recognize the designated locations which one needs to know during the circumambulation [2]. Then I wanted to start on the circumambulation, but a man from among those who there lead the people in the circumambulation came up to me and said, ‘I will take you on the circumambulation!’

But I replied to him, ‘I am a man from Syria and I arrived ahead of the Syrian ḥajj caravan, so I don’t have any dirhams with me right now to give to you—I’ve got nothing on me save what a pilgrim needs in his ritual state. Now, if you’re alright with it then instruct me for free, otherwise, leave me alone and I’ll perform the circumambulation by myself!’

Then he set to arguing with me and saying nasty things, until, while we were in the middle of it, a man approached and drew the man aside, saying to him, ‘Leave this one alone to circumambulate by himself! You want to instruct him in the circumambulation—but he and his father before him have themselves instructed a thousand people like you in the circumambulation!—’ or something to that effect— ‘so leave him alone so that he can perform the circumambulation.’ So he left me alone and I performed the circumambulation as I wished. Continue reading “‘Alī ibn Muḥammad al-‘Āmilī and the Aggressive Meccan Tour Guide”

Ibn ‘Askar on Two Muslim Saints of the Early Modern Jbala

Detail of a length of fabric of plain cloth and silk produced in 17th or 18th century Morocco (Cleveland Museum of Art J. H. Wade Fund 1953.321)

The village of Jajouka, also transliterated as Joujouka or Zahjouka, lies at the edge of the Jbala region of northwestern Morocco, and is today best known as the home of not one but two musical collectives, both of which style themselves Master Musicians of the village, one using the transliteration Jajouka, the other Joujouka. The musical traditions of this village were famously ‘discovered’ by the Beats and others associated with the counter-cultures of the late twentieth century, going on to produce their own albums and artistic collaborations as well as tour around the world.

Before the music of Jajouka became globally famous, however, the village and the wider region around it was home to a range of early modern Muslim saints, some of which were profiled by the important Maghribi hagiographer and support of the Sa’idian dynasty Ibn ʿAskar (d. 1578), originally of Chefchaouen, in his Dawḥat al-nāshir. The profiles that I have translated here, of Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd Allāh al-Jābrī and Abū Bakr al-Srīfī, are notable for several reasons. The life of ‘Abd Allāh al-Jābrī embodies a way of life highly redolent of ‘deviant’ and ‘mad’ saints from across the late medieval into early modern Islamicate world, themselves building on older traditions. Already in Ibn ‘Askar’s time such saints were increasingly known as ‘majdhūb,’ divinely attracted, but this was far from being universally true. ‘Abd Allāh al-Jābrī also stands out for his role as a mediator of conflict among the people of the Jbala.

One qabīla over, the life of Abū Bakr al-Srīfī is interesting for his merging of typical rural life with the practice of sainthood, as well as for his friendly relationship with a wolf (or, more specifically, the African golden wolf, Canis anthus). Alongside his replication of what was probably orally transmitted hagiography, Ibn ‘Askar also includes an autobiographical story concerning the saint’s posthumous power, a story that also points to the complicated routes of power in rural 16th century Morocco. Visible throughout this account are indications of wider historical dynamics and historical particularities of the early modern Maghrib, which I have explicated further using footnotes.

17th century tile made in Morocco, perhaps indicating types of decorative architectural elements a tomb like that of Abū Bakr might have used during the period, in addition to the styles of tile better known from past and contemporary usage (V&A 1717-1892).

‘Abd Allāh al-Jābrī al-Rhūnī: the shaykh the saint Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd Allāh al-Jābrī, guest (nazīl) of the Rhūna qabīla [1], among whom is his tomb and among whom was his zāwiya until his death in the [nine-]thirties, God knows best. This man was from among the wonders of the age and the strangest of things, wearing a garment (kisā’) of wool and nothing else, a staff in his hand, and walked barefoot whenever he set out to accomplish some matter in accordance with the power of God. His miraculous actions were conveyed by multiple transmitters (tawātir), [2] and whenever conflicts (fitan) broke out among the qabīlas he would come out and call the people to reconciliation, and whoever pridefully refused him, in that very moment God in His power would manifest in that person chastisement, and so would no longer stand against him. When he become known for that ability, the people submitted to him and no one was able to contradict him or go against his intercession. [God’s] answering his supplication was like the breaking of dawn. He was ascetic, pious, humble, and his mode of life was one of silence, abstemiousness, and was free of pretension, depending upon God in all his conditions, singular among his peers. More than one from among the fuqahā’ and fuqarā’ [3] related wondrous things about him, more than can be enumerated, God be merciful to him. Continue reading “Ibn ‘Askar on Two Muslim Saints of the Early Modern Jbala”

A Self-Taught Shaykha in Early Modern Fes

Detail from a swathe of embroidered silk textile, seventeenth or eighteenth century Morocco, with the word Allāh rather faintly visible running in a band near the center. The polemicist author described below might have had such colorful textiles in mind in castigating women in Fes for their material exuberance in following their female shaykha. (Cleveland Museum of Art 1916.1236)

The place of women in early modern Islamicate societies varied greatly depending on particular place, general cultural norms, social status, prevailing madhhab, and many other intersecting factors. Far from being static, the role and status of different sorts of women often fluctuated over time, and was frequently contested, particularly during periods of change such as marked much of early modernity in the Islamicate world as elsewhere. Of a particularly contentious nature was the question of women’s public religious life, a question that for Muslim communities entailed tension between (albeit limited) recognition in Islamic tradition of female religious authority, beginning with hadith-transmitting wives of Muḥammad himself, and prescriptions on women’s authority and public mobility and visibility. The historical reality of female saints and even masters of sufism added extra dimensions to such tensions. In the Islamic West- the Maghrib- from the medieval period forward highly restrictive attitudes towards women’s public participation in religious life existed alongside prominent, and outspokenly public, female saints such as Sayyida ‘Ā’isha al-Mannūbiyya (1199–1267). The anonymous woman who is described in the below text suggests other possibilities, which were accepted by some but strenuously rejected by others, as we will see.

The text below comes from a major eighteenth century bio-hagiographic compilation, Ṣafwat man intashar min akhbār ṣulaḥāʾ al-ḳarn al-ḥādī ʿashar, written by a scholar whose family was originally from the Draa region in the far south of Morocco, Abū ‘Abdallāh Muḥammad al-Ifrānī (also spelled al-Īfrānī and al-Ufrānī). Born in Marrakesh around 1670, al-Ifrānī eventually settled in Fes, where he would live and work as a scholar, sufi, and author, becoming particularly well known for his historical works, dying in either 1743 or 1745. His Ṣafwat man intashar provides important insight into the shape of early modern Maghribi sainthood as well as many other social realities of the period, including in the vast and often autonomous countryside, as seen in a previous selection from this work translated here.

The following selection comes from the life of a scholar and saint, originally from the town of Ksar el-Kebir but who settled permanently in Fes after his course of studies there, Abū Muḥammad Sayyidī ‘Abd al-Qādir (d. 1680). ‘Abd al-Qādir embodied a form of sainthood that had once been common across Islamic societies but by the early modern period was largely a Maghribi phenomenon: that of the ‘exoteric’ scholar whose vigorous personal asceticism, scrupulosity, and careful adherence to the sharī’a were acclaimed as evidence of sainthood. His karāmāt- miracles or charismatic signs- were many, al-Ifrānī tells us, his saintly status no doubt helped by the fact that his son wrote not one but two manāqibs- hagiographic accounts- of his father’s life. Unlike many of his contemporaries, ‘Abd al-Qādir did not produce in books or compilations; instead, his followers compiled his sayings and fatwas into their own compilations. The passage I have translated here comes from such a compilation, and is reminiscent in form of a fatwa although it is not presented as such:

Another fā’ida: [Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd al-Qādir] was asked about a woman who recited the Qur’an for women, and they would gather around her and take her as their shaykha. He answered with the following: ‘He, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: “A people ordered by a woman will not know success,” as well as “Hinder them as God has hindered them,” and “They are deficient in reason and religion.” It is not permissible that a woman act as an imāma or shaykha, and as for what the women do on the day when they gather together in the woman’s presence and take her as their shaykha, that is not permissible either, and is an aspect of corruption and evil in the earth due to various reasons: among them, that women pilfer from their husbands and take it to her; and that each of the women dresses in finery, beautifies herself, and goes out into the streets, that being ḥarām and not allowed. And perhaps she leaves without her husband’s permission or pleasure in that, it becoming a cause for anger and division, with things that cause such being ḥarām.

Also, she presides over the reading of books and fatwa collections concerning the religion (dīn) of God, but is without knowledge (‘ilm), not having received that from an ‘ālim, there being things in the books which are comprehensible and things which are not [to those not instructed by a scholar], ‘ilm not being received save from the mouths of scholars. Taking it from books and pages is ḥarām, and all which she receives [in terms of material things] from that is illicit and one ought not eat of it, such that her livelihood is pure ḥarām. Continue reading “A Self-Taught Shaykha in Early Modern Fes”

A Cultural Entrepreneur in Late Eighteenth Century Cairo

Wakala Oda Basha
The Wakālat Oda Başa, built in 1673 by an Ottoman Chief White Eunuch and now, so far as I can determine, no longer extant, but depicted here as it existed in the 1830s, displaying the spatial configuration and use of an Ottoman wakāla (also voweled wikāla) akin to that in the biographical entry below, with vendors active on the ground floor, storage directly above. (Pascal Coste, Architecture arabe; ou, Monuments du Kaire, mesurés et dessinés, de 1818 à 1826, Typ. de Firmin Didot frères et compagnie, 1839: Volume II plate XLIV.)

The following short biography is taken from the famed chronicle- which is also a biographical dictionary- of the Ottoman Egyptian scholar al-Jabartī (1753-1825), best-known for his accounts of the French invasion and occupation of Egypt under Napoleon. His chronicle contains numerous fascinating slices of every-day life in the late eighteenth century, such as this entry concerning a person of middling estate (which he made up for, as we will see, in other types of ‘capital’):

Ismā’īl Efendī ibn Khalīl… known as al-Ẓuhūrī al-Miṣrī al-Ḥanafī al-Muktib died. He was a good person, satisfied with his lot in life, who earned his living through book-copying and fineness of calligraphy which he had improved in and reached perfection under the tutelage of ‘Alī Aḥmad Efendī al-Shukrī. He wrote with his fine handwriting numerous books (kutub), copies of al-Saba’a al-munjiyyāt [seven selected Qu’ran suras with reputed prophylactic power], Dalā’il al-khayrāt, and full copies of the Qur’an. He also had a storehouse wherein he sold coffee beans, located in the caravanersai of greens (wikālat al-baql) close to the Khalīlī Khan. He was also very knowledgeable in the science of music, melody, the playing of the ‘ūd, and the composition of poetry, having composed madā’iḥ, qaṣā’id, and muwashshaḥāt.[1] He died, God be merciful to him, in 1211/1796.[2]

The picture that emerges from this brief life is of a man who deliberately cultivated a wide range of skills and forms of cultural expertise, while also participating in the flourishing marketplace of goods and commodities. His enterprises were such that they could overlap: selling coffee beans at the scale suggested here would have only occupied so much time, Ismā’īl otherwise working at what al-Jabartī presents as his primary trade, that of a copyist. Despite sporadic in-roads of moveable print in the eighteenth century Ottoman world, manuscript production remained dominant, with men like Ismā’īl turning out often prodigious numbers of texts for an expanded market compared to earlier periods. His specified repertoire consists of works that households with few other texts might very well have owned, either for reading and recitation or simply for their role as potent conveyors of baraka (and, secondarily perhaps, markers of cultural prestige). It is striking that, like several other copyists profiled by al-Jabartī, the Dalā’il al-khayrāt is given as part of Ismā’īl’s calling card, a text of such popularity that it could form a stable item all of its own regardless of individual customer commissions. Continue reading “A Cultural Entrepreneur in Late Eighteenth Century Cairo”

The Heat of the Divine Lights: The Story of a Rural Maghribi Majdhūb

17th century Moroccan Tile V&A 1718-1892
Scripts of sainthood weren’t the only things shared between the early modern world of the Islamic West and that of the Ottomans, of course. As discussed previously here, art motifs moved back and forth between the two regions, with Maghribi adaptations of Ottoman elements taking on distinctive local styles, such as this 17th century tile which incorporates distinctively Ottoman floral elements but in a quite different context. (V&A 1718-1892)

The following extensive hagiographic entry comes from an important eighteenth century compilation of saints’ lives from Morocco, the Ṣafwat man intashar min akhbār ṣulaḥāʾof the scholar, historian, sufi, and man of letters Abū ʿAbdallāh Muḥammad al-Ṣaghīr al-Ifrānī (c. 1669-1743 or 45), who was originally from the Draa region of southern Morocco, but who lived and traveled in Fes, Marrakesh, and various countryside zāwiyas. He forged ties with many saints of his native land, collecting accounts of holy figures from both his own lifetime and the generation before.

The saint featured here, Shaykh Abū al-Qāsim, lived in the Middle Atlas region south of Fes, then as now predominantly rural, many traces of which are visible in the life al-Ifrānī renders. Islamic Sainthood in Morocco, in medieval and early modern times, has often been centered in rural areas as much as urban ones, with a constant interplay between the two (al-Ifrānī probably learned the accounts of Abū al-Qāsim through one of the latter’s disciples, Sīdī Aḥmad al-Madāsī, a sometime resident in Fes whom al-Ifrānī would much later take as a spiritual master). While in the anthropological and sociological studies of ‘maraboutism’ that long dominated the study of Islam in Morocco, these saints and their devotees are often taken as examples of the exceptional, ‘syncretic’ nature of Moroccan Islam, we can in fact see connections with the wider Islamic world in these saints’ lives as well as the traces of long-standing debates and discussions within sufism and fiqh over the nature of sainthood, sufi practices, what constitutes a proper shaykh, and the nature of the knowledge of God. In this particular life, Abū al-Qāsim is described as a majdhūb, a divinely attracted saint, a type of saint that became increasingly prominent in both the Maghrib and the Ottoman world during this period, even if the mechanisms for those parallels are for now hard to determine. The reality of interconnections between ‘West’ and ‘East’ is alluded to in this life, in fact, by the saint’s dispatch of disciples to ‘the East,’ meaning for this period the Ottoman lands. I’ll note briefly some other parallels and some differences below, but first here is al-Ifrānī’s account of this sometimes quite shocking saint:

Abū al-Qāsim ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Lūsha al-Sufyānī: His companions called him Abū ʿAsrīya, because he used to do most things with his left hand, and he was, God be merciful to him, from among the ones distracted in love of God, and from among the folk of effusive states and lordly ecstatic utterances. His sainthood was firmly established among both the elite and the common, his distinctiveness being well-known in both the east and the west. Early in his life he was renowned as one of the brave young men of his tribe (qabīla) and among those of perfect horsemanship from among them. When the inrushings of gnosis began to flash upon him and the illumined beneficence draw him, he went about in the wild upon his face, distracted from his senses, becoming acquainted with wildness and familiar with solitude, such that knowledge of him was cut off from his folk for one or two years or more. They didn’t know anything of his dwelling nor location until there came a hunter or shepherd who mentioned to them his description, so they rode out in search of him, and when they brought him back he stayed with them a few days then returned to his former inclination, until his spiritual condition calmed down enough to settle down in his homeland, his spiritual states (al-aḥwāl) subsiding somewhat.

Then he began sitting with the fuqarā’, discoursing with them and imposing [spiritual disciples?] upon them, but when his spiritual state (ḥāl) would seize him, he would grab at them and they would flee from him. Among the remarkable things that befell him is that when the spiritual state would seize him, he would rend his clothes and remain totally naked, yet no one ever saw his genitals (ʿawra) [1], and whoever wished to gaze upon his genitals would not see them, no matter how much he strove to see them. The one to whom it was granted to see them would go blind from the very moment. A number of people went blind in such manner until it became well-known among the people and they began to protect themselves from such.

At the beginning of his career, he would stay at length in meadows, ponds, and creeks due to the intensity of what descended (mā nazala) upon him of the [divine] lights (al-anwār), which he would cool off from by means staying close to water until it stopped. In the latter part of his career his spiritual state became calm and serenity prevailed in him. He returned to his senses, now having control over his spiritual state. More than one trustworthy person has related to me that a group of his companions went to the East with his permission, living adjacent to Medina the Noble, and would sit opposite the Noble Room [of Muḥammad] and discuss stories and accounts of him [2]. One day they were doing that when a woman clothed in tattered old rags and of ragged mein stopped before them. She said to them, ‘Do not know other than Qāsim—rejoice, for my Lord has given him the station of the Quṭb today!’ They wrote it down that day, and when they returned to [Abū al-Qāsim] they learned that his state had become calm on the very day that the woman said to them what she said—God knows best! [3]

Continue reading “The Heat of the Divine Lights: The Story of a Rural Maghribi Majdhūb”

Imām al-Layth, the Debtor, the Parakeet, and the Ruler

The minaret and street entrance to the shrine-mosque of Imām al-Layth, as it existed c. 1920 when it was photographed by Sir K.A.C. Creswell (V&A 1573-1921)

During his various journeys,ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Nābulusī (1641-1731) visited many, many shrines of saints and prophets, some known throughout the world, others of only local purchase. In his accounts of his journeys he makes much of these visits, recording them in sometimes great detail and with his own poetic contributions. Very often he reports local accounts of the holy person venerated in the shrine, providing precious insights into the ‘oral hagiography’ and local practices of saintly veneration and saintly space that prevailed in the late seventeenth century around the Ottoman world.

One of the many holy tombs al-Nābulusī visited in the course of his extended stay in Cairo during the pilgrimage journey recounted in his al-Ḥaqīqa wa-al-majāz fī riḥlat bilād al-Shām wa-Miṣr wa-al-Ḥijāz was that of Imām al-Layth ibn Saʿd (713-791), a major figure in the early elaboration of Islamic jurisprudence. Rather like his ‘neighbor’ Imām al-Shāfiʿī, by al-Nābulusī’s time Imām al-Layth was regarded as much, if not more, as a wonder-working saint than as a scholar of jurisprudence, as the story I’ve translated here suggests.

While the central point of the story is pretty straightforward- and rather charming- certain details stand out for thinking about how Ottoman Muslims experienced the built space of such shrines. First, it should be noted, as al-Nābulusī does in introducing this structure a bit before the translated passage, and as can be seen in the photographs, reproduced here, taken by K.A.C. Creswell in the late 1910s, the shrine sat pretty much continuous with the surrounding houses, marked off by its dome (qubba, see below) and relatively low but ornate minaret, both of late Mamluk provenance. The line between house and shrine could be blurred in other ways: the man in the story practices the venerable rite of ‘incubation,’ sleeping in a holy place so as to receive a vision or answer to a prayer. If the shrine was seen as a sort of ‘home’ for the entombed saint, incubation was equivalent to a guest spending the night.

The fact that al-Nābulusī heard this story, perhaps from a neighbor to the shrine, indicates that the space remained ‘alive’ to local residents and devotees, as did the saint himself, even to the point of attracting an additional element to his name (at least among his local devotees). It’s a good reminder that whatever the intentions of the original founders of the tomb (which certainly predates the ‘modern’ late Mamluk construction visible now to us) or of later patrons and builders, those intentions might have only partially been respected or even recognized by later participants in the sanctified space.

The qubba- dome- and rooftop of the shrine, fairly typical of mausoleum architecture during the Mamluk period (V&A 1571-1921)

The reason for his being given the kunya [1] of Abū al-Makārim [that is, ‘Father of Noble Deeds’] among the people of Cairo is what was told us in the following manner, namely that there was a man with many debts. He set out sincerely for a pious visit to [Imām al-Layth], and recited the Fātiḥa for him and supplicated God, asking for relief from his debt. He slept here in the shrine and saw [Imām al-Layth] in a dream. He said to the man: ‘When you arise from your dream take hold of and possess what you see upon my tomb!’

When the man arose from his sleep, he saw upon his tomb the bird known as parrot (babbaghā’) or parakeet (durra), and it could recite in the manner of an expert reciter the Qur’an in all its seven recitations! [2] So he took hold of it, and soon the people had heard of it, to the point that word of it reached the ruler of Cairo, and he commanded that the man be brought to his presence so that he might take the bird from him. When he came into the ruler’s presence the ruler bought it from him, and with the money the man was able to repay all of his debts.

Continue reading “Imām al-Layth, the Debtor, the Parakeet, and the Ruler”

Dalā’il al-Khayrāt Coming Out on Top

A 17th century copy of the Dalā’il from somewhere in the Maghrib (priv. coll., sale information here), executed in Maghribi script but in the rectangular format more typical of the eastern Islamicate world. Note the use of multicolored inks to write Muḥammad’s name, as well as the presence of marginal notations.

As discussed previously in these pages, one of the single most popular Islamic texts of any sort in the early modern world was the book of taṣliya- prayers and blessings upon Muḥammad- titled Dalā’il al-khayrāt, composed by Muhammad Sulaymān al-Jazūlī (d. 1465) of Fes and soon dissimulated east and south across Afro-Eurasia. The history of the text’s reception and transformation is long and complicated in no small part because it was such a ‘bestseller,’ taking on different profiles of production and use in different places. But like any book that becomes popular or even canonical, it’s success was not automatic, but involved ‘boosting’ on the part of various persons and groups, particularly in light of the fact that Dalā’il al-khayrāt was far from the only such book of devotion to Muḥammad on the market. There were older, already established texts such as the devotional poem Qaṣidat al-burda by al-Būsīrī (d. 1294), as well as more recent texts composed in response to the upsurge in devotion to Muḥammad that marked the late medieval into early modern period.

One of these was a text known as Tanbīh al-anām wa-shifāʼ al-asqām fī bayān ‘ulūw maqām nabīyinā Muḥammad ʻalayhi al-salām, also a book of invocations and blessings upon Muḥammad, written by a member of a prominent family of scholars from what is now Tunisia, ʻAbd al-Jalīl al-Qayrawānī (d. 1553). While similar in content and manuscript execution- see the examples below for instance- to the Dalā’il, it would prove far less successful (I was unfamiliar with it until coming across the story translated here!). The sense of competition is relayed in the following story, which comes from Muḥammad al-Mahdī ibn Aḥmad al-Fāsī hagiographical account of the author of the Dalā’il, Mumtiʻ al-asmāʻ fī al-Jazūlī, written in the early seventeenth century. Al-Fāsī’s text can be seen both as part of the process of the Dalā’il’s ascent into ubiquity, and as a reflection of its already existing popularity. Besides establishing the sanctity of the Dalā’il‘s compiler, al-Fāsī’s account also underlines the potency of the text itself, as in the following story, one which suggests the Dalā’il’s superiority in rather literal terms!

A section (juz') of a Koran, sura 3:92-170 Manuscript

It is related that someone from among the people had copies of Dalā’il al-khayrāt and of Tanbīh al-anām, and when he put them down he would place Dalā’il al-khayrāt on the bottom and Tanbīh al-anām on top of it. Then, when he went out and came back to his place he would find Dalā’il al-khayrāt on top of Tanbīh al-anām. This happened more than once, and no one else had come into his place other than him.

Also someone whom I trust related to me the story one from among the students told him along the same lines, it having happened to him as well—it’s possible the two stories have to do with the same person, or with two separate persons, this occurrence being multiple. I heard our master and intermediary with our Lord, Shakh Sīdī Abū ʿAbdallāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdallāh ibn Maʿn al-Andalusī, God be pleased with him and with us through him, say words to the effect that Dalā’il al-khayrāt suffuses light (al-nūr), Tanbīh al-anām knowledge (al-‘ilm). [1]

I found in the handwriting of Shaykh Abū ʿAbdallāh al-ʿArabī, God be merciful to him, upon the surface of a copy of Dalā’il al-khayrāt the following text: ‘One of the Qur’an-memorizing fuqahā’ mentioned to me that among the things he had tried for the meeting of needs and the alleviation of distress was reciting Dalā’il al-khayrāt forty times, the reciter striving to complete this number of recitations before the passage of forty days. The need was fulfilled through the baraka of blessing (al-ṣalāt) upon the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him!’ [2]

From the same privately held manuscript as the above, facing pages depicting the Prophet’s minbar (left) and his tomb (right), the tomb depiction having received a great deal of pious rubbing to ‘activate’ its baraka. For more on this visual schemata, see this post.

Continue reading “Dalā’il al-Khayrāt Coming Out on Top”


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What About Pakistan?

Hour 2:       The American military has been deployed to Afghanistan for more than a decade. But have our troops been in the right place? We’ll talk this hour to New York Times reporter Carlotta Gall, who makes the case that Pakistan is more deserving of our attention. Her new book is The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

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text:
Inheriting Cancer

An estimated 10 percent of cancer cases are considered hereditary. This hour, we’ll learn how we can spot the patterns of inherited cancer with Dr. Theodora Ross, director of the Cancer Genetics Program at UT-Southwestern Medical Center. Her new book is called “A Cancer in the Family: Take Control of Your Genetic Inheritance” (Avery).


text:
savory yogurt in bowls

Savory Yogurt with Harissa & Za’atar

This savory yogurt recipe with harissa and za’atar is simple, healthy, tangy, and refreshing. It’s an unexpected and wholesome breakfast recipe.

savory yogurt in bowls

I think we’re all familiar with that sweet, delicious taste of fruit on the bottom yogurt cups or drizzling honey and granola on top of our greek yogurt. I will personally never turn down a vanilla yogurt studded with fresh blueberries.

I had kind of an overwhelming, sugary weekend though and I wanted to spend this week moving away from starting my day with sugar-heavy cereals and yogurt. When I start the day with something sweet (it does not help that there is a pie shop literally in my apartment building!), I keep wanting the same flavors throughout the day.

I’m not cutting out sugar, because I do believe in a life of balance and because I like trying new things – here’s my simple take on a savory yogurt recipe.

savory yogurt in a bowl

If you can’t find za’atar at the store – check out our za’atar spice guide for an easy homemade recipe.

Yield: 2 servings

Savory Yogurt Recipe

savory yogurt in bowls

This savory yogurt recipe with harissa and za'atar is simple, healthy, tangy, and refreshing.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons harissa paste
  • 2 tablespoons za'atar
  • 1/2 cup thinly slice cucumber
  • 1/2 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
  • pinch of salt

  1. Divide the yogurt between two bowls.
  2. Top each bowl with half the harissa, za'atar, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Sprinkle a dash of salt over each bowl.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 629mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 4gSugar: 21gProtein: 14g
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text:
Myanmar – Day Two: Yangon

If there’s one variable we would all like to control when travelling, it’s the weather. So the sight of fluffy white clouds and rays of sunshine when the curtains were pulled back meant that the planned sightseeing was well and truly on.

Where to start is easy – the Shwedagon Pagoda dominates the Yangon skyline both because of its imposing height and also because of its appearance. For the uninitiated, it’s gilded with 20 tons of gold leaf – in the sunshine it is so bright as to be painful to look at when close up. In addition, that Yangon is still largely a low rise city means that orientation is straightforward.

The Pagoda is sited on top of a small hill, further raising it above the city. Of course, when seen from afar, a small part of the brain is trying in vain to point out to the rest of it that if it is that dominant from a distance, it must be simply enormous close up – but it still comes as something of a shock on approach to realise just how massive the structure is.

At 2,500 years old (according to tradition – spoilsport historians and historical architects insist it’s more like 1,200 give or take a few centuries) it has also had time to generate impressive numbers of surrounding shrines; they in themselves are a startling sight, both in number and the degree of opulence.  A walk around the pagoda takes some considerable time, even without taking into account the regular stops to admire a particularly impressive view.

Despite this, access is straightforward. In recent years a lift to the site has been installed, saving visitors from having to climb the steps to reach it.

No matter how cynical and world weary the traveller, a visit to Shwedagon is one that will leave the visitor stunned. It is, quite simply, a global must-see.

If that were all there was in Yangon, it would still be worth coming, but of course there is far more. The National Museum of Myanmar is essential for any student of history, while Inya Lake provides welcome relief in the shape of cooling breezes from the heat of the day.

Yangon is famous for its collection of colonial architecture, possessing greater numbers of colonial buildings than any other city in South East Asia. Context is always key, and it is their presence in the downtown area at every turn that marks them out. Maintaining them is proving a challenge and as the city develops some are inevitably lost. But the conjunction of spectacular historical architecture in a city that is developing at an astonishing rate provides a contrast that is well worth seeing.

It’s not just sights either, for lovers of a bargain Scott’s Market (or Bogyoke Market as it is now known) is the place to fill up with local souvenirs without coming close to breaking the bank.

It’s been a short visit, a day and a half in which trying to fit everything in has proved a challenge. Yangon is changing quickly, and there are no guarantees that some of its particular attractions won’t be lost in the years to come. If in doubt, book sooner rather than later.

Tomorrow, it’s Bagan, a place on the Bucket List of huge numbers of travellers. I’m looking forward to it.

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text:
Malicious Spam Jumps to 3 Billion Messages Per Day

Last year was an interesting year in the security industry in a number of ways, but perhaps none more so than the monstrous increase in the volume of malicious spam. In the second half of 2009, the number of spam messages sent per day skyrocketed from 600 million to three billion, according to new research.

Last year was an interesting year in the security industry in a number of ways, but perhaps none more so than the monstrous increase in the volume of malicious spam. In the second half of 2009, the number of spam messages sent per day skyrocketed from 600 million to three billion, according to new research.

For some time now, spam has been accounting for upwards of 90 percent of all email messages. But the volume of spam had been relatively steady in the last couple of years. Now, with the emergence of several large-scale botnets, including Zeus and Koobface, has led to an enormous spike in the volume of spam, researchers at M86 Security found. The company’s report on spam and malware trends from the second half of 2009 was released Tuesday.

In fact, the company found that 78 percent of all spam was sent by computers that were part of one of the five largest botnets.

“The major spam botnets such as Rustock and Pushdo (or Cutwail) continue to dominate spam output, supported by second-tier botnets such as Mega-D, Grum, and Lethic, and Donbot. The spamming botnets are constantly in flux, waxing and waning, morphing, becoming obsolete, being replaced, taken down, and upgraded. It is important to identify the major contributors to the volume of spam, so the industry can take action against them, such as the botnet takedowns that have already occurred. Consider the impact on Spam levels if the top 2 or 3 botnets were disabled,” the company said in the report.

Malicious spam–messages that carry some sort of malware or a pointer to a malicious site–was a huge problem in the last six months of 2009. The major botnets were the main culprits, using the millions of compromised machines as spam-spewing zombies. Much of this spam involved scams tied to financial fraud, specifically credit-card theft or attacks that involved loading a password-stealing Trojan onto the victim’s machine.

“Over the past year, malware became more voluminous, sophisticated and complex. One piece of malware we encountered illustrates this complexity. A prevalent distribution vector for spambots and other attacks was a piece of malware called Virut, which is a file infecting virus that can download and install almost any type of malware on to an infected computer7. The Virut malware infects files with .exe and .scr file extensions. A user may encounter Virut by visiting malicious websites that contain exploits that download Virut as a payload,” the report says.

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  • Anonymous on

    I don't get it.  Who even sees spam anymore?  Any reasonable mail provider filters this all away.  For those who do actually get spam, doesn't it ultimately become a victim of its own "success".  If there are that many spam messages how does the message not get overwhelmed by all the other spam messages?

  • Anonymous on

    Ummm this matters to the ISPs that keep the spam away from you.

    And it matters because you are paying for them to keep the spam away from you.

    (be it with cash or addware etc)

    Also it's always a catch-up game with anti-spam software, so there is quite a few spam messages that break through, especially when a new variety surfaces, and then you get the very intelligent users that keep on responding to these e-mails and phising attempts and get rich attempts and and and...

    I've even seen spam come through gmail and major ISP filters from time to time, especially well crafted phising scams.

  • Dietrich on

    Nothing that OpenPGP can't take care of. Everyone wants maximum protection of their on-line data which can be stored in a fully-encrypted manner. That would satisfy a whole bunch of cloud issues, including the Fourth Amendment as it applies to the Cloud, which is really not framed out. The larger issue I see is that ALL EMAIL flows over the Internet in 'Clear Text' (readable) form. We take the precaution as a matter of privacy to be sure to enclose our paper mail in an envelope do we not? Why shouldn't the same convention and assumption of a right to Privacy apply to mail sent on the Internet? Not just its 'storage'. That's where OpenPGP comes in. But you can't make it happen unless there is a Federal mandate in place and a Global set of Treaties could unify the supposed: 'Email Postal Encryption Act'. Making a Mandate should be accompanied by Government Funding to facilitate defraying the cost of bringing Email software applications into compliance over a period of time to the extent that such applications would incorporate PGP and self-signed certificates for encrypted email and make the process of sending a PGP email from an application usability standpoint sufficiently easy for any person to use with a minimum computer literacy level being assumed. So, why do we get upset about information stored on the Internet when we send clear text emails around the world each and every day?

  • Anonymous on

    Mail encryption:

    Same kind of reason why they tried to get smtp2 running and failed.

    No one is "forced" to use the same implementation, no one is "forced" to use it at all.

    Plus you try to teach a 70 year old granny with a windows 3.1 machine what openPGP is...

    Good in theory, insane to implement (sadly)

  • Robert L. Baber on

    "Any reasonable mail provider" or email program filters most, but not all, spam out. Unfortunately, those filters also filter some legitimate and desired email out. The latter type of error has caused me serious trouble on several occasions. Spam filters should not be relied on completely.

  • Anonymous on

    Step back and take a breath. Don't you see how screwed up we have allowed to let Government become. It should not be the Governments job to pay for the spam problem. The government does not need to be in the private business.

  • Anonymous on

    I have to say, Gmail's spam filter is quite good, and even the very few that get through, once I mark them as spam, I never see them again.  I leave my spam folder alone, and the emails are deleted as soon as they are 30 days old, so I have a running monthly total of spam.  About a year ago, a spam king was taken down.  How do I know this?  Because one year ago, my spam folder dropped from 2000 a month to 1000.  Over the last year, it fell to 800.  Now, however, it's back up to 1000 again.  It started going up about the first week of January.  (I am very careful not to give my e-mail address to anyone who could spam, but sadly I had three other folks with my name give out my e-mail address as theirs, and the floodgates opened.)

  • ChrisM on

    The short answer is while it may be true that we, at the end of the supply chain may not see this spam, it's ultimate success is that it has slowed down all the legit traffic out there that you and I are trying to communicate with our friends and families! There is where the damage is being done. I am frankly amazed that fantastic services like Skype and similar video transmissions are even able to do as well as they are with all this spam traffic tying up the net!

  • Anonymous on

    i am now bombarded with malwarw called security tool it trys to force you to buy there service with your personal information and creditcard

  • Anonymous on

    Hey, hey, don't dump on us 70 year olds. I use XP and my mom is 94 using Win 7. Age doesn't equal ingorance as many young people believe. Seniors have been around long enough to recognize the risks posed by young people and take appropriate action to protect themselves against those risks.

  • guru schmukuru on

    What's wrong with junk mail?  Nothing!  They are very amusing, entertaining and sadly enough, some of them have no reply addresses.   Those that do, they get bombarded with MY COUNTEROFFER PROPOSAL and I usually get no reply afterwards from the same spammer address.  Too bad!!  (For example, if they ask for $60, I ask them for $30 FIRST.  If they ask for my name & address, I ask them for theirs FIRST.  Sometimes, I tell them to circumcise their own putrid parts.)

  • Anonymous on

  • Dave on

    Are you an idiot? What environment do you work in that you think an ISP is going to keep all spam out? If your talking internet mail then fine but private email is completely open. Wake up ! Spam continues to be a huge problem !

  • Anonymous on

    At 71 I'm no retard.  I stopped letting my email service ISP block my spam years ago, as it also blocked my sister, etc.  Meanwhile, Norton and Thunderbird both have local spam filtering I find helpful, for the most part.  But I don't delete the spam right away!

    I send every spam email I get to the Federal Trade Commission at SPAM@UCE.GOV, complete with the message source information (in Thunderbird, Ctrl-U, click in window, Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C and then Ctrl-V in the forwarded message window.)  Just a few mouse clicks and it's on its way in five seconds.  This is the only way to eliminate the spam, by eliminating the spammers.  Don't delete, fight back!

  • Emma Sullivan on

    Why aren't the companies whose products are for sale in the spam messages prosecuted?  I get about 30 messages a day selling drugs.  Why am I even getting these messages?  Do they really think I'm going to buy a drug that makes the penis I don't have BIGGER?

    Equally at fault are e-mail hosts, and the most despicable is HOT MAIL.  Spam messages all have sender addresses like . . .!!!!!  HOT MAIL shouldn't allow such e-mail account names to be created.  And, don't be fooled by HOT MAIL's BS about trying to help eliminate spam, by providing . . . because anything you forward there immediately is returned as UNDELIVERABLE.  HOT MAIL IS FULL OF CRAP, they know exactly what's going on and could care less.

  • Anonymous on

    I use a product called Firetrust Mailwasher because I have multiple addys and it allows me to view all email from all accounts prior to it being downloaded to my server!  This has saved me from many infections cause I can deal with the email while it is still on the server and not my machine.  You can mark for deletion, blacklist, and even bounce - doing all email at the same time, plus it has many other features that help deal with spam and unwanted email!  Then with the one click you download just the email you want!  It is wonderful software and very reasonably priced!

  • Cole Mayes on

    Oh man! I've been HAMMERED by virtually non-stop requests to add spammers to my Windows Live Messenger contacts. It appears no way to stop these undesired requests except to not use WLM, which isn't feasable.

    Additionally, have any of you seen or heard of the kido.h, or kido.i worm entering through a file called bpjgoy.i in the system32 folder? I have searched the web looking for this bpjgoy.i and nothing is found. Plenty on kido.h trojan, but not how it is entering through this file.

    Any information would be HIGHLY appreciated. :-)

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text:
I Have Been Thinking To Buy A Drill.

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 500.

Northern Flicker

What is a mattress’ favorite season?

Interesting Fact: Northern Flickers usually excavate nest holes in dead or diseased tree trunks or large branches. In northern North America look for nests in trembling aspens, which are susceptible to a heartrot that makes for easy excavation. Unlike many woodpeckers, flickers often reuse cavities that they or another species excavated in a previous year. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/lifehistory )

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text:
Posts Tagged ‘Palin’

Obama McCain image

1. The race is insanely close. Your hanging chad maybe the one needed to save us from another 4 years with the Republicans calling the shots.

2. There is a significant difference between the 2 parties. One is pro war, not just in Iraq but maybe Iran and Russia too, the other is unlikely to start wars, and wars are not good, that is unless you make tanks, guns, bullets or own a “security” firm.

3. Are you willing to entrust the US to a guy who has just starting “doing emails?”

4.The younger you are the more you have to gain… and to lose. A democracy is based upon everyone voting and in 2004 only 57% of eligible people voted.

5. Older people are more likely to want to control the internet,  the most important tool for freedom, reducing poverty, equality and education.

6. For many this election is about race. Do not underestimate the number of voters who will not vote for Obama because he is black. The media wont discuss racism because it is not supposed to exist….it does.  A simple way of fighting racism is to vote for Obama.

7. McCain may die and this would leave Sarah Palin as President of the USA. Sarah Palin is totally against abortion to the point where she will not even allow it in cases of rape or incest.

8. 9/11 gave the Republicans the opportunity to decimate human rights and personal freedoms in the name of security. In the words of Patrick Henry “Give me liberty, or give me death”.  Terrorism can be defeated only by not allowing ourselves to become terrorized.

9. Do not vote for McCain because he chose a woman as his #2. Fighting sex discrimination does not mean voting for a woman who is clearly unprepared for the job and has been put forward in a carefully manipulated campaign maneuver.

10. You have the most to gain and the most to lose.. so use your vote.

Add your own reasons in the comments section and I will add them all.

Read Full Post »


text:
Start a new topic

Two User Sync

I have a situation where two remote users need to see each others quotes.  Can they just do a sync for their own user and then follow up with a sync for the other user?

That is correct. You would want to have each user start by syncing their own documents back to the master. Then, once they have both synced their own documents, each user would perform a second sync for the opposite user's documents. There should be a total of four syncs occurring to complete their request.

To perform a sync for just a single user's documents, go to Utilities -> Sync, choose to Start a new session, choose your master directory, then for the What to Sync: section, choose Documents owned by Sales Rep: and choose the rep. See below:

Thank you for the reply.  It seemed to make sense that you would do it that way but I just wanted to make sure.

Our sales manager is now a remote user.  If he needed ALL quotes would he just click on the "Documents" button, in the clip above, to get everything?

That is also correct.

One of the users does not have the 2nd user as a choice in the sync configuration.  His installation occurred way before the 2nd user was in QW.  How do I get the 2nd user to show up in the 1st users drop down window?  I'm sure there is a database of users that can most likely be copied from the server to the 1st user.  Is it as simple as the 2nd users .INI and .DIC files?

When you synch on the first users remote installation there is a Data Group .....

User Logins and Rights

that you need to synch across from the Master installation. That option should ensure that all users are synched across into the users' remote installation.

We don't have a User Logins and Rights in the Data Group...  How can that be added?

You will need to copy the security.mdb file from the master QuoteWerks installation and bring it over to each of the remote installations. Before copying it over, close QuoteWerks on each remote, then copy the file into each remote's QuoteWerks installation folder.

Upon reopening QuoteWerks, all users found on the master installation should show as choices on the remote installations.

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text:
Do You Know Your Benefits?

Fresh Manna 2009© by Renee Burt

This past year we were presented with a new health care plan at work. I went home and studied all the benefits, so we’d be sure to know what was available to us through the plan. Everyone else I talked to had done the same thing. It made good sense to do that. But how much better sense does is make to spend MORE time, and GREATER attention to knowing all of our “benefits” listed in our Bible? It’s the greatest heath care plan (for our spirit, soul, and body) available…and there’s no monthly fee, co-pays or deductibles. It’s a 100% plan that covers everything in life…if you know your benefits! That’s what it says in:

Psalm 103:1-5 NIV ~ Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

More devotions from Renee’s Fresh Manna

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2009 Tim Burt, All rights reserved.


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Malta Valetta Boat

Why to chose Malta for a long weekend trip – A 4 days itinerary

It is this time of the year again. After a long and dark winter, the sun is showing its first appearences, flowers are growing and the general mood improves considerably. It is also the time for long week-ends: Eastern, Labour Day, Ascension Day and Whit Monday all offer great possibilities to travel. You have a long week-end ahead of you and don't know where to go? Why not discover Malta, the Mediterranean Paradise.


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Germany ups pressure on Russia in Navalny poisoning probe
This story is from September 6, 2020

Germany ups pressure on Russia in Navalny poisoning probe

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BERLIN: Germany on Sunday increased pressure on Russia over the poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, warning that a lack of support by Moscow in the investigation could “force” Germany to rethink the fate of a German-Russian gas pipeline project.
“I hope the Russians won't force us to change our position regarding the Nord Stream 2" pipeline being built under the Baltic Sea, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told weekly Bild am Sonntag.
Maas also said, “If there won't be an contributions from the Russian side regarding the investigation in the coming days, we will have to consult with our partners.” He did not exclude possible punishments against Russia, telling the newspaper that “if we think about sanctions, they should be pinpointed effectively".
However, Maas also admitted that halting the building of the nearly completed gas pipeline would harm German and European companies.
“Whoever demands this has to be aware of the consequences,” he said. “More than 100 companies from 12 European countries are involved (in the construction), about half of them from Germany.”
The German government has come under growing pressure to use the joint German-Russian pipeline project as leverage in getting Russia to provide answers on Navalny. The Nord Stream 2 project would deliver Russian gas directly to Germany under the Baltic Sea when completed, bypassing Ukraine.
Navalny, a Kremlin critic and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow last month and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk. He has been in an induced coma in a Berlin hospital since he was flown to Germany for treatment on August 22.
German authorities have said that tests showed that he had been poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities previously identified the nerve agent, developed during the Soviet era, as the poison used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018.
“We have high expectations from the Russians to bring light into this severe crime,” Maas said. “If they have nothing to do with this attack then it's in their own interest to put the facts on the table.”
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has brushed off allegations that the Kremlin was involved in poisoning Navalny and said last week that Germany hadn't provided Moscow with any evidence about the politician's condition.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Navalny's poisoning an attempted murder that aimed to silence one of Putin's fiercest critics and called for a full investigation.
Merkel personally offered the country's assistance in treating Navalny. He's now in stable condition at Berlin's Charite hospital, but doctors expect a long recovery and haven't ruled out that the 44-year-old could face long-term effects to his health.
Merkel has previously rejected the idea that the Navalny case should be linked to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
The US has long opposed the project, which has been increasingly a source of friction between Berlin and Washington. In early August, three Republican senators threatened sanctions against an operator of a Baltic Sea port located in Merkel's parliamentary constituency over its part in Nord Stream 2. The Mukran port is a key staging post for ships involved in its construction.
The US argues the project will endanger European security by making Germany overly dependent on Russian gas. It's also opposed by Ukraine and Poland, which will be bypassed by the pipeline under the Baltic, as well as some other European nations.
In addition to the security concerns, the US also wants to sell more of its own liquefied natural gas, or LNG, to Europe. (AP)
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How to use Cycle Tracking on your iPhone — Apple Support

Log important information about your menstrual cycle, and get alerts about your upcoming period and fertile window. Here’s how to use Cycle Tracking in iOS 13.

Topics Covered:
0:15 Set up Cycle Tracking
0:51 Log a period
1:35 View more data

To learn more about this topic visit the following articles:
Track your period with Cycle Tracking:
Use the Health app on your iPhone or iPod touch:
Manage Health data on your iPhone or Apple Watch:

Additional Resources:
Contact Apple Support for iPhone:

To subscribe to this channel:

To download the Apple Support app:

Apple Support on Twitter:

For more videos, go to Youtube Apple Channel


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Tag: Market Your Music

5 Steps To Book Your Band

by Gareth Bird

Knowing how to get your band on at venues is vital if you’re going to get your band heard and seriously market your music. But how do you go about getting someone to book your band when you don’t know where to start?

[ad name=”468×60-banner”]

Here are 5 key tips that will show you how to get gigs. I’ve used them all personally as have other bands and musicians I’ve helped. All five have been repeatedly proven to succeed. They can help you become that most indispensable of musicians – the gig-getter.

1. AGREE ON YOUR GOALS.Continue reading 5 Steps To Book Your Band


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I’m so pleased to be nominated for the Mystery Blogger Award! This is my second nomination (for the same award) since I started my blog in January 2018. I’m very thankful to Mel, who’s my nominator. She shares about great handicrafts on her blog, so please do visit Decorcraftdesign.com to see her lovely works!

To know more about this award, see what the creator, Okoto Enigma says…

What is Mystery Blogger Award?

Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.
Okoto Enigma

The Rules of the Mystery Blogger Award

  1. Put the award logo/image on your blog

  2. List the rules

  3. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog

  4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well

  5. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself

  6. You have to nominate 10 – 20 people

  7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog

  8. Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)

  9. Share a link to your best post(s)

Mystery Blogger Award
Mystery Blogger Award

3 things about me:

1. I grew up in different countries.

2. My educational background is in Business Administration.

3. After having had corporate working experiences, I chose to work from home, to be my own boss… for the flexibility that it brings!

Links to my top 10 posts:

  1. How to make the most of your life
  2. 28 tips to make you feel happier
  3. How to cope with multitasking if not avoid
  4. 30 ways to enjoy time alone on a budget
  5. 5 benefits of decluttering for you
  6. 12 tips for a new hobby
  7. How to plan your day for intentional living!
  8. 10 things to note about personal development
  9. Set the right goals for next year
  10. 8 ideas to unwind

My answers to Mel’s questions are…

What’s your favorite:

  1. Time of the year? The end of year festivity period.
  2. Old movie? I reminisce about ‘The Sound of Music’, which I watched so many times during my childhood!
  3. Things to do outdoors? Nature hiking, drive in spectacular natural surroundings and walks in my garden.
  4. Workout? Cardio and yoga sun salutation.
  5. Weirdest food? Can people actually eat insects?

My nominees are (in random order):

1. Positive Side of Coin

2. Wayward Scribbles

3. Renard’s World

4. Aj Ignacio

5. Jay’s Brainstorms

6. Charliecountryboy’s Blog

7. Crooked Creek

8. Julie de Rohan

9. Exercise and Health

10. Our Adventures Memories and Journals

Questions to my nominees:

1. What motivates you to blog?

2. Do you actually follow your set blogging schedule?

3. Who inspires you the most?

4. Which is your favourite vacation destination?

5. Funny one… Honestly, can you sneeze with your eyes wide open? First, try it out to see. If you can, then teach me how to!

I once more thank Mel for having nominated me! As for my nominees, congratulations!! You may prefer not to accept this award. However, it’s a great way to give recognition to fellow bloggers within the blogging community, so please do accept it (by following the above-listed award rules). Have a great weekend!!!

60 thoughts on “Mystery Blogger Award (2)

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Lenovo K12 may come with 64 MP Camera and Snapdragon 662

Lenovo K12 Arrives with Snapdragon 662 Chipset and 64MP Primary Camera and 16MP Selfie Camera.” Lenovo K12 is all set to launch in the market. The mid-range Smartphone is the most anticipated device. The Retail price in USD is $160, the Price in Pakistan is Rs. 28,599 also the Lenovo K12 price in India is  Rs. 11,599. Lenovo K12 is a hot topic to discuss among tech lovers. Tips Technology exclusively brings you the specification, feature, and also Pros and Cons. The Lenovo K12 Release date is Jan 28, 2021.

Lenovo K12 may come with 64 MP Camera and Snapdragon 662

Price in India: Rs. 11,599
Price in Pakistan: Rs. 28,599
Launch Date: Jan 28, 2021 (Expected)
Variant: 4 GB RAM / 64GB Storage
Camera: 64MP / 16MP
Chipset: Snapdragon 662

Screen Size 6.8 inches Display
Screen Resolution 720 x 1640 Pixels
Display Type IPS LCD
Screen Protection Glass v5

Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
Processor Octa-core (2 GHz, Quad-core, Kryo 240 + 1.8 GHz, Quad-core, Kryo 240)
Graphics Adreno 610

Operating System Android v10 (Q)

Internal Memory 64GB
Expandable Memory Up to 512 GB

Mega Pixel 64 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP
Mega Pixel 16MP

Capacity 6000mAh
Type  Li-Polymer
Battery Replaceable ❌  No
Quick Charging Fast, 20W

SIM Size SIM1: Nano, SIM2: Nano
Network Support SIM1: 4G Bands, SIM2: 4G Bands
5G Support ❌  No
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11
Bluetooth  v5.0
NFC  ❌  No
USB Type-C  ❌  No
Audio Jack 3.5mm
Fingerprint Sensor Rear
Tips Technology is the Online Publication with in-depth Coverage of Tech, whether it's a Gadget or an Awesome Web Service.

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“WOW” Women’s Ministry

The Women of the Word (WOW) ministry is all about empowering women and encouraging genuine sisterhood. Through our teachings, we provide a practical application of God?s word that can help with all areas of a woman?s day-to-day life. We want every woman to live out her God-given purpose. That?s why we focus on providing a nurturing, loving environment where women can be fed spiritually, physically and emotionally. We also strongly emphasize building strong bonds with our sisters in Christ. We definitely want this to be a refuge where women can share, grow and learn from each other.


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Customer Centricity

  • High competition pressure
  • Depending from pitches and requirements of asset managers in charge:
    • Professional management
    • Fast reporting
    • Flexible administration (e.g. IT connection)

Project approach

  • Analysis of organisation regarding interfaces and focus on key accounts (AM)
  • Implementation of a „customer focus“ in all organisational units
  • Identification and optimisation of processes for client retention and individual solution approaches for tenders
  • Support in the development of products and price definition processes
  • Implementation of administrative workflows
  • Analysis and assessment of IT systems applied and customer reporting according to best practice and individual requirements

  • Increase of customer satisfaction
  • Improvement of negotiation position
  • Retention of existing clients
  • Improvement of market position as well as success opportunities in pitches and tenders
  • Improvement of USP towards direct competitors


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NASHVILLE—The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced today that it has approved a $156,500 grant for “Last Best Summer Ever” to film in Middle Tennessee. The movie begins filming in Franklin on Friday, September 12 and will continue to film in and around the Franklin area until October 3. During production, the movie is employing approximately 30 Tennessee crewmembers and more than half of its 22-member cast is local.

“Tennessee provides the perfect backdrop for the film industry, both with our unique cultural and geographical landscape and through our efforts to support creative collaborations like this throughout the state,” Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty said. “Our state has a rich history of fostering a one-of-a-kind environment in both the film and music industries, and I am pleased Middle Tennessee will be highlighted in this production. I also appreciate the jobs being created for local actors and production professionals.”

The family-friendly movie tells the story of Scott and his 12-year-old son, Caleb, moving on in life two years after Maria, the wife and mother of the family, has passed away. The summer kicks off with the Caleb’s teacher encouraging students to have the best summer ever. But Scott has other plans, telling his son he’s accepted a job out of state and they will be moving before the start of the new school year. The story is about transformation and hope, as Scott and Caleb find their way, all while Caleb tries to make this the last best summer ever.

The cast includes: David DeLuise (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) in the role of Scott, Caleb’s father; Nicos Christou in the role of Caleb; and Jaci Velasquez (local musician and radio personality on 94FM) as Maria, Scott’s wife and Caleb’s mother.

“I am really pleased ‘Last Best Summer Ever’ can take advantage of everything our state has to offer when it comes to providing a collaborative and creative environment for the film industry,” Bob Raines, Tennessee Film, Entertainment & Music Commission Director, said. “Tennessee’s natural beauty combined with the talent and expertise of professionals working in the film industry here truly make movies come to life.”
Locally based “Abington Ridge Films” and “Triple Horse Films” out of Atlanta are producing the movie, which is being directed by Ken Carpenter, who operated “Franklin Films” for many years.

“It’s not only our geographical and architectural assets in Nashville which provide a beautiful landscape to tell a story, but it’s a cooperative production environment, from the local municipalities to working with TNECD,” Carpenter said. “Tennessee has been very cooperative and created a good environment for us to work in. The crews in Nashville are top rate, and it’s an exciting time in the independent film world. Nashville has a palpable sort of energy that lends itself to this being a great place to shoot. Everybody involved is very excited about working on this picture.”

Franklin-based EchoLight Studios will distribute “Last Best Summer Ever” in spring 2015.

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Tennessee was named “2013 State of the Year” for economic development by Business Facilities magazine. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook:

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Yarns that end in garments of the highest quality

From fabrics, towels and shirts, to tires and books, TN&Platex yarns are present in a wide range of products that we enjoy every day.

Our Products

Circular economy

We are committed to taking the company to a totally circular process, working on our triple impact: economic, social and environmental. It is a long road ahead, but we are willing to see it through. We already reuse the vast majority of our waste, as well as waste from other links in the textile industry’s value chain, and this is only the beginning.

Eco Sustainable Yarns

Our business units

We offer a wide range of yarns, in different counts and characteristics, of conventional and open-end spinning, to supply the different requirements of the industry.

We produce high quality and variety knitted fabrics, both basic and differentiated, that adapt to the needs of the market and fashion.

Through our development team, which is constantly searching for new products, cutting-edge yarns are produced that follow international trends.

We offer sustainable products of color, with wide varieties of titles, both for knitting and flat looms. We mix this regenerated product with acrylic and polyester.

New business unit of the group. We offer socks and underwear with our own brands and for third-party brands, produced in a modern factory of the highest quality and productivity

As an initiative to get closer to our suppliers, we have started to offer cotton bale bags. We will be leaders in this market.

Starting with the 2020 pandemic, we embarked on a new business unit that begins with the manufacture of sanitary facemasks, with the aim of making Argentina self-sufficient in health resources.

TN&Platex is present in the international market, competing as equals in globalized and highly demanding markets, where only products with the highest levels of quality are accepted, which must be accompanied by values of service, delivery and prompt response. Since its inception in this activity, TN&Platex has consolidated in the markets of the United States, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Portugal, Spain, Great Britain, Thailand, Germany and Italy and continues its expansion towards the demand from other markets. Today it is the largest spinning mill in the southern hemisphere.

Collaborators working in plants

Productive M2 in different Provinces

Countries to which we export the product

In the main office, based in Vicente Lopez, 80 people work. This includes the entire administrative team, purchases, collections, the commercial, institutional, productive team and the Medias Ciudadela team.