Have you ever had one of those days when you cease to be amazed at the natural world and the animals that inhabit it?
I have not long been a farmer of Pet Sheep and I am still coming across some surprising occurrences. I have often wandered why Sheep regardless of where they are, how well they are trained or what they are doing with inexplicably have a panic attack turning their more leisurely scampering into a polite stampede.
Mine are usually led by Farsi who seems frightened even of her own shadow. Once this Muslim Merino takes off the remainder of the flock, as if on some kind of Hajj, will inevitably take off with her.
Farsi hasn't been living at our place very long, having recently arrived as a Boat Sheep, so I have not had the chance to really sit down and have a woman to sheep talk with her. I often notice her gazing off into the western dusk just before Prayer Time.
Last Friday was different however. It must have been the end of Ramadan. I was lazing in the hammock in the afternoon sun reading the Linton Ewes when I felt her quietly come up beside me and after she checked the others were off eating decided to confide in me. She brought her mouth up to my ear.
“ I see dead sheep” she whispered.
I knew that I had to get this astonishing story off to the Astonisher as soon as I could. Not being a particular religious person I did have to do a bit of research as to the possibility of this phenomena before putting pen to paper, and this is what I found.
What I believe Farsi was seeing was not actually dead sheep but Jinns. (See footnote)
The Prophet Muhammad said: There are 3 types of Jinn; One type flies through the air, another type consists of snakes and dogs. A third is based in one place but travels about.
I'm not quite sure if he was speaking of Amir (The Jinn who resides with people) or The Gin (who resides in cocktail bars) For sheep I dare say it is most likely 'The Bobbin' (that resides at the end of a spinning wheel). Anyway Farsi drew from deep within her fleece, I suspect from somewhere under her tail a copy of the Quran. And so it came to pass that she did read from it to me.
"And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient. Reclining on raised thrones, they will see there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive bitter cold, (as in Paradise there is no sun and no moon). The shade will be close upon them, and bunches of fruit will hang low within their reach. Vessels of silver and cups of crystal will be passed around amongst them, crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure of them according to their wishes. They will be given a cup (of wine) mixed with Zanjabeel, and a fountain called Salsabeel. Around them will (serve) boys of perpetual youth. If you see them, you would think they are scattered pearls. When you look there (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that cannot be imagined), and a Great Dominion. Their garments will be of fine green silk and gold embroidery. They will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a pure drink." The Quran [76:12-21]
Lo and behold she did finish reading the passage to me and it was good. Getting up from the hammock to refill by wine glass I did suffer from a dizzy spell and I imagined that Farsi was wearing a belt of explosives around her waist.
So it came to pass that I too see dead sheep. There Farsi lay in the Freezer where I placed all the parts that I could find scattered around the property and I celebrate that Ramadan is over.
De auteur ist aan dik slob.
Footnote: The Jinn are beings created with free will, living on earth in a world parallel to mankind. The Arabic word Jinn is from the verb 'Janna' which means to hide or conceal. Thus, they are physically invisible from man as their description suggests. This invisibility is one of the reasons why some people have denied their existence. However, the affect which the world of the Jinn has upon our world, is enough to refute this modern denial of one of Allah's creation.
I have not long been a farmer of Pet Sheep and I am still coming across some surprising occurrences. I have often wandered why Sheep regardless of where they are, how well they are trained or what they are doing with inexplicably have a panic attack turning their more leisurely scampering into a polite stampede.
Mine are usually led by Farsi who seems frightened even of her own shadow. Once this Muslim Merino takes off the remainder of the flock, as if on some kind of Hajj, will inevitably take off with her.
Farsi hasn't been living at our place very long, having recently arrived as a Boat Sheep, so I have not had the chance to really sit down and have a woman to sheep talk with her. I often notice her gazing off into the western dusk just before Prayer Time.
Last Friday was different however. It must have been the end of Ramadan. I was lazing in the hammock in the afternoon sun reading the Linton Ewes when I felt her quietly come up beside me and after she checked the others were off eating decided to confide in me. She brought her mouth up to my ear.
“ I see dead sheep” she whispered.
I knew that I had to get this astonishing story off to the Astonisher as soon as I could. Not being a particular religious person I did have to do a bit of research as to the possibility of this phenomena before putting pen to paper, and this is what I found.
What I believe Farsi was seeing was not actually dead sheep but Jinns. (See footnote)
The Prophet Muhammad said: There are 3 types of Jinn; One type flies through the air, another type consists of snakes and dogs. A third is based in one place but travels about.
I'm not quite sure if he was speaking of Amir (The Jinn who resides with people) or The Gin (who resides in cocktail bars) For sheep I dare say it is most likely 'The Bobbin' (that resides at the end of a spinning wheel). Anyway Farsi drew from deep within her fleece, I suspect from somewhere under her tail a copy of the Quran. And so it came to pass that she did read from it to me.
"And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient. Reclining on raised thrones, they will see there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive bitter cold, (as in Paradise there is no sun and no moon). The shade will be close upon them, and bunches of fruit will hang low within their reach. Vessels of silver and cups of crystal will be passed around amongst them, crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure of them according to their wishes. They will be given a cup (of wine) mixed with Zanjabeel, and a fountain called Salsabeel. Around them will (serve) boys of perpetual youth. If you see them, you would think they are scattered pearls. When you look there (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that cannot be imagined), and a Great Dominion. Their garments will be of fine green silk and gold embroidery. They will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a pure drink." The Quran [76:12-21]
Lo and behold she did finish reading the passage to me and it was good. Getting up from the hammock to refill by wine glass I did suffer from a dizzy spell and I imagined that Farsi was wearing a belt of explosives around her waist.
So it came to pass that I too see dead sheep. There Farsi lay in the Freezer where I placed all the parts that I could find scattered around the property and I celebrate that Ramadan is over.
De auteur ist aan dik slob.
Footnote: The Jinn are beings created with free will, living on earth in a world parallel to mankind. The Arabic word Jinn is from the verb 'Janna' which means to hide or conceal. Thus, they are physically invisible from man as their description suggests. This invisibility is one of the reasons why some people have denied their existence. However, the affect which the world of the Jinn has upon our world, is enough to refute this modern denial of one of Allah's creation.
