Quote #1
 Are you just going to admire the jug or are you actually going to drink the water? - Rumi
 The Islaamic mystics are very critical of those who claim to be wise teachers of Islaam yet never take its teachings into their own hearts. Their attitude is conveyed in a story about a saint who wanted to stop hunters catching songbirds for sale at the market. He trained a parrot so that whenever it saw a net covered in bird food it squaked, “Don’t eat the food! It’s a trap!” when the other birds heard the parrot’s warning they flew away and were saved. The parrot, however, had no idea what he was saying and, seeing the food, flew down to eat it and was captured. When we pay wisdom lip-service but don’t live it, we are like that parrot. No matter how wise we seem to be, we will end up getting caught in the net of illusion.
Islaam emphasizes the need for complete authenticity and sincerity. The Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) teaches, “Allaah does not accept your belief it is not expressed in deeds, and does not accept your deeds unless they conform with your beliefs.” We should live what we know. We should do what we feel in our hearts is right, regardless of what others think. To do otherwise is hypocrisy.
My own thoughts:
We can speak about the beauty of Islaam, how it makes sense and so on… but if we don’t grab it ourselves and apply it in our own lives, we will never taste its sweetness. Instead, that sweetness will turn into a bitter taste on Yawmal Qiyaamah, when instead of the Qur’aan being a proof for us, it will be a proof against us. May Allaah guide us, aameen
 * Other recent thoughts of mine:
When I read this quote, it makes me think of a scene… It’s like watching your own self from the outside of a hospital room. You have the medicine in your right hand and know that you need to take it, how often and so on, but you don’t. Your standing outside of the room represents that knowledge you have but it serves no good when you see yourself inside the room dying for not taking the meds.