Vesak Day | sending Saalam to Buddha

Buddha and Vesak Day Namaste
Originally uploaded by Mystic Lens.

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

“Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.”

- Buddha

In Singapore, today's full moon in lunar calendar is celebrated as Vesak Day.

On Vesak Day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate events of significance to Buddhists of all traditions: The birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha.

May Adi-Buddha, the Ultimate Source of Enlightenment and The Light itself, The Real Enlightened One's eternal Bliss and Peace be with Buddha. Saalam, the greeting of peace to his soul.
Pin It Now!

act as Instrument of God

If you act as an instrument of God, whatever comes will not affect you; He will bear it. Then you will be able to finish what you started. You must be the instrument, then He will be the One who is the Doer. That is the point. Evil is everywhere, it is joined with you.

When you set out to do something good, when you are the instrument to do a good duty, the opposite of it, evil, will oppose you. If the “I” sets out to do something, it will be difficult, but if you become an instrument (of God), the weight is His. Then it will be easy. You must think of this. This point is the point of psychology. This is the way you must realize wisdom and truth in your life.

- Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Pin It Now!

what it is like | sufi haqqu

asks the lover:
'what it is like to remember His
Magnificent Unseen Face?'

if i ask,
the lover remain silent
gives me a smile, only
pointing to the mirror.

whispers within:
'you are that
Magnificent Unseen Face
and i am the one
looking into the mirror.'


(c) MysticSoul Pin It Now!

Daniel Ladinsky | vision of Hafiz

Just as Coleman Barks had spiritual vision of Sufi Master Bawa Muhaiyyaddin which initiated and deeply connected Coleman into the work of Rumi whole-heartedly - similar is the case of Daniel Ladinsky and his vision of Hafiz.

I quote from an article by Murat Nemet-Nejate on Daniel Ladinsky and Hafiz Poems published in fourth issue of ReadMe edited by Gary Sullivan.

As an "original" poem, the book (The Gift) belongs to the tradition of visionary, religious writing, as the following quote from its introduction makes clear: "I feel my relationship to Hafiz defies all reason and is really an attempt to do the impossible: to translate Light into words - to make the luminous resonance of God tangible to our finite senses. About six months into this work I had an astounding dream in which I saw Hafiz an an Infinite Fountaining Sun, who sang hundreds of lines of his poetry to me in English, asking me to give that message to ‘my artists and seekers’"

As God talked to Moses in Hebrew, to Mohammad in Arabic, Hafiz spoke to Daniel Ladinsky in English. Mr. Ladinsky is translating a dream, not a 14th century Persian text. His preparation towards it has the aura of the road to Damascus, "My work with Hafiz began in the fall of 1992, on a early morning walk in the countryside of western India, on a beautiful tree-lined road that leads to the former residence of Meher Baba. ..."

Incredible as it may seem, there is not a single poem (gazel) of Hafiz of which any one of the poems in The Gift: Poems by Hafiz The Great Sufi Master is a translation or adaptation or extrapolation or deconstruction; no poem in the book is in dialectic relation to a specific Persian text. ... read the full article here.

Hafiz according to Daniel Ladinsky, is "one of the greatest spiritual friends, lovers, and guides that humankind has ever known." Daniel spent five years translating these ecstatic poems of this Sufi master who is considered to be the most beloved poet of Persia.

About | Daniel Ladinsky (born 1948) is an American author, poet and translator, best known for his interest in spiritual traditions around the world, particularly Hinduism, Islam and Sufism. He was born and raised in the Midwest United States. For six years he made his home in a spiritual community in western India, where he worked in a rural clinic free to the poor, and lived with the intimate disciples and family of Meher Baba.

In introductions to his Hafez poetry, Ladinsky notes that he offers interpretations of the poet Hafez, rather than translations. He believes that it is more important to convey the emotions in Hafez’s poetry than to keep the same rhythm in the English language, and he uses the most simple words possible. via wikipedia.

Ladinsky has published three volumes of Hafiz’ poetry in translation: "The Gift," "The Subject Tonight Is Love," and "I Heard God Laughing." His new book is an anthology titled "Love Poems from God."

Resources:
:: Coleman Barks | Vision of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen and Rumi

:: More on Daniel Ladinsky @ Poetry Chaikhana, Poet Seers.
:: Selection of Poems by Daniel Ladinsky Pin It Now!

Sufi Poetry Carnival | Serving Love of the Beloved

In Sacred Remembrance of Divine Sadiq Alam and Tiel Aisha Ansari presenting the first ever Sufi Poetry Carnival in the cyber-space. We are grateful to be able to share and to serve Love, in sweet remebrance of the Beloved.

God hath treasures beneath the Throne, the keys whereof are the tongues of poets - Saying of the Prophet, may indescribable peace be upon him

As a classical rule, Sufi Poetry has always been the expression of Divine Love, which is exactly the theme of the first edition of Sufi Poetry Carnival.

We are happy to have among us some of the eminent contemporary sufi poets, dervishes, translators and authors to grace the carnival with their kind participation. Notable are Coleman Barks, Daniel Abdal Hayy Moore, Kabir Helminski, David Fideler, Irving Karchmar, Sabrineh Fideler, Aida Toure and Wahiduddin Richard Shelquist. Also there are participations by many blessed hearts across the globe and each of their poems testifies the outpourings of Love for the Divine.

The poem below is a collage assembled from the first lines of poems (thats Tiel's brilliant idea) contributed. Click on each line to read the original poem.

. Serving Love of the Beloved .

In poverty stands he firm with eyes
those eyes that search for the miraculous
searched for my Beloved everywhere ... in vain.
Some of us seek and forget,
but You never taught me how to fly.
Moulded with the ability to think
Forget all that cleverness, just be in Love.
There’s courage involved if you want to become truth.

Take a walk, lose yourself to the nature.
Everywhere on the tongues of birds
hear, O darvish, the song of Love.
Love's concert is calling.
The big sky smiled so wide!
Just as we smile with
a tulip in spring.

Any fool can talk to God.
Confucius said that words are the voice of the heart.
The man with the oud played a lullaby tune-
closed lips speak loudest.
....

below are the name of the authors and the titles according to the above collage:

Beaman | Marzuq: One Word - Poem
Kabir Helminski | Ghazel for the Prophet’s Birthday
Shree | Sunflower
Kevin | Forget
Hind Rifai | Divine Teacher
Sha Najak | Emptiness
Abdur Rahman | Just Be in Love
Coleman Barks | Not there

Mystical Nima | This Violin Playing Flame
PB Sweeney | The Peace of Dawn is Not Illusory
Irving Karchmar | The Song of Love

Paul Martin | Sky Smile
Hamza Peter Weismiller | 5 Sufi Haqqu
Kenza Saadi | The Tulip
David and Sabrineh Fideler | Invisible Caravans
Wahiduddin | The Journey of the Heart
Aaminah Hernández | A Few Simple Poems
Tiel Aisha Ansari | The Oud Player in the Garden
Sumeia Williams | Unspoken
.....

the other part of the Sufi Poetry Carnival: The Growing Garden of Love is published by Tiel Aisha Ansar in her blog, Knocking from Inside. pls visit here.

A humble prayer | The Prophet of Love and Mercy, Muhammad, by the Permission and Power of God, has promised the most sublime of promises: "You will be with the one(s) you love." May your precious expressions of Love Divine take you closer to be with the Real One. Amen.

:: Resources on Sufi Poetry, Sufi view on Divine Love and Readings
: What is Divine Love? | Mystics understanding of Love | part1
: Divine Love | Sufi Essence: Stages of Love
: Sufi Love | understanding from master
: Divine Love for strangers in crowd
: Understanding relationship between Sufism and poetry
: Prophet Muhammad and Poetry appreciation
: Poetry & Islam | Concept & Context
: Sufi Poets and Poetry | The Classical Masters
: Some Poems from the Masters via Aaminah Hernández

Tech Tags: sufi poetry Sufi+Poetry carnival blog+carnival poem sufi+poem Divine+love Love

Pin It Now!

Bawa's ingredients of Love

wisdom.
good qualities.
good actions.
good behavior.
clarity.

alright precious beloved!
we've got the ingredients.

now let's cook
a beautiful dish
of love!

love intermingled
with love.


(c) MysticSaint

inspired by message of Master Bawa Muhaiyaddeen where he says the following words of wisdom:

"So, my very precious children, when you fall in love, analyze the state of that love. Cut it open, examine it carefully, and look for the love which is intermingled with love, the love born of wisdom, the love born of good qualities, the love born of good actions, the love born of good behavior, the love emanating from clarity. That is true love."

- excerpts from A Book of God's Love by M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, may God sanctify his sirr (secret) / icon of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen from Michael Green's illustration Pin It Now!

Divine Love | for the strangers in the crowd

Quoted from Divine Love written by Faruk Dilaver, via Yunus Emre: Love and Peace

Every existent thing is assumed to be one of the divine names and attributes of God. For this reason Yunus, one of the great lovers says, “I will call You, my God, with the stones and mountains.”

The Creator, the Almighty One who is the only Being (Wujud) is alone the source of Love Himself. He loves Himself. He embraces Himself. He adores Himself. He is the one who loves and is loved among the whole of creation. Love is He alone.

The lover who has already perfected in his love in the end understands he loves the only Being, the Creator; what he loves is indeed the Almighty One, God, in every existent thing. In the initial stages the lover finds Him within himself. He loves Him within himself; while loving himself, the lover at the same time loves Him. He is the one who has created every thing out of love. Therefore, every creature carries traces of love within themselves. If someone finds love within creation, then he finds Truth (Haqq) who has created all things out of His love, as the aim of Truth’s creation is only Love.

Truth is the only craving of lovers’ hearts and is Divine Light (Nur). When compared to the physical light in this world, Truth or Divine Light can be understood easily because both have some common attributes. Lovers who contemplate these attributes become more aware of the Being of Truth, and thus they realize Truth more readily.

Light is the single entity that is perceived within all colors, forms, and things in this world. Yet, it cannot be seen. Light can only be perceived within the existent things through colors that are in truth the attributes of light itself. When we understand the reason of all colors perceived within the existent things is light itself, we also realize that what we see as colors in this world is only light itself.

Just as light cannot be seen, Truth also cannot be seen. However, His attributes (sifat) are perceived within the existent things. Truth can only be seen through His attributes. Therefore, lovers recognize the attributes of Truth and they witness and see Haqq within His attributes. As mentioned above, we can see the things in this world only when light exists. We cannot see when there is no light or when we are in darkness. In truth, the things we perceive around us are just light. Like this, whatever we see within the existent things is only this manifested light or Nur, which is the Being of Truth. This wisdom of lovers is that which can see Haqq within all existent things.

The true friends of God in their perfection speak to God; they hear the resonance of God addressed to them at the moment of the manifestation of God (tajalli). No spatial direction can be defined for God’s resonance. It comes WITHOUT any direction. For example, the Almighty God addressed The Pole (Qutb) Abdulkadir Geylani, The Supreme Helper, Gavs Al-Azam, one of the Great Lovers of God, in the following manner,

“You are My Lover!
You are the One whom I love!
You are the One who is desired!

You are My Face amongst my slaves...
You are the One who is the most wanted and looked for…
You are My Secret within secrets…
You are My Light within lights!

You are the Beauty of My Countenance (Cemal)…
You are My Perfection (Kemal)…
You are My Name…
You are My Essence…
You are My Attribute (Sifat)!

Come nearer to witness Me!
Do not stay far away from Me…
You are the essence of the universe!

Come nearer to Me, My Lover!
Ascend to Me, My Lover!

I desired you for My Essence.
I have created you for Me alone…
Do not look for anything else other than Me.
Do not crave for anything else other than Me!

My Lover, smell Me within all fragrances…
My Lover, devour Me within all foods...
My Lover, touch Me in whatever you touch...
My Lover, you are My Yearning!”

O You who are looking for Love! Until you come across a true friend of God, you will never know Love and yourself. Your craving for Love will never be satisfied. The “Divine Beloved Ones” are those who give Love to the whole of humanity.

- excerpts only. Read the full article here.

:: Yunus Emre: Love and Peace / for the strangers in the crowd ::
:: Poems of Yunus Emre on Divine Love Pin It Now!

Truth from Yunus Emre

"I came from the eternal,

clothed myself in flesh,

and took the name Yunus."

. Yunus Emre .

(1238 - 1320)

a Turkish poet and Sufi mystic, who has exercised an immense influence on Turkish literature

Pin It Now!

Sufi Poets and Poetry | The Classical Masters

The Esoteric dimension of Islam which often termed as the way of the Sufi and the encounters that Sufism facilitates - encounters with God, love, and the deepest aspects of human consciousness. Sufism is like a holy well of sacred experience and has inspired some of the finest mystical poetry given to the world.

Here is a list and links of some of the most prominent and classical Sufi Poets. Poetry Chaikhana that brings Sacred Poetry from Around the World has a comprehensive list of classical sufi poets, their brief biographical sketch and selected poems. The following list is adopted from Poetry Chaikhana.

Abu-Said Abil-Kheir (967 - 1049)
born in Mayhana, modern day Turkmenistan. lived more than two centuries before Rumi yet, like Rumi, much of his mysticism follows a similar path of annihilation in divine Love.

Ahmad al-Alawi (1869 - 1934)
an Algerian saint considered by many to be one of the greatest Sufi Masters of the 20th century.

Abu 'l-Husayn al-Nuri (? - 908)
was a native of Baghdad. He was a friend of al-Junaid and a leading figure of Sufism in the region.

Sheikh Ansari (1006 - 1088)
was born and died in Herat, northwestern Afghanistan and his burial place in Herat is still a place of pilgrimage for thousands of Sufis every year.

Farid ud-Din Attar (1119? - 1220?)
was born in Nishapur, Persia (Iran) and is traditionally said to have been killed by Mongol invaders. About thirty works by Attar survive, but his masterpiece is the Mantic at-Tayr (The Conference of the Birds). Attar's poetry inspired Rumi and many other Sufi poets.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia (1238 - 1325)
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, affectionately known as Mehboob-i Elahi or "Beloved of God," was born in Badayun, India, east of Delhi. He showed profound spiritual realization and was a master of the Chishti Sufi order.

Sultan Bahu (? - 1691)
one of India's most enduringly beloved and influential Sufi poets. A respected scholar from what is today the nation of Pakistan, Bahu became famous worldwide for his eloquent and inspirational Punjabi poetry and prose, which constitute a central pillar of the Sufi religious and literary tradition of northern India. So popular is his poetry in Pakistan and India even today that illiterate Punjabis can recite it by heart.

Abdul-Qader Bedil (1644 - 1721)
his family originally came from Afghanistan and at some point moved to India as part of the Muslim Moghul court. Abdul-Qader Bedil wrote extensively - poetry, philosophy, wisdom stories, and riddles - and most of his writings remain with us today.

Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai (1689 - 1752)
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai (sometimes written Bhittai or Bhittaii) was a devout Muslim Sufi, but his spirituality was broad and welcoming, making room for Muslim and Hindu alike. He is one of the most revered poets and saints of the Sindh region of what is today Pakistan.

Bulleh Shah (1680 - 1758)
is considered to be one of the greatest mystic poets of the Punjab region, India-Pakistan. Bulleh Shah was a respected scholar, but he longed for true inner realization. Later he became a disciple of Inayat Shah, a famous master of the Qadiri Sufi lineage, who ultimately guided his student to deep mystical awakening.

Yunus Emre (1238 - 1320)
a Sufi dervish of Anatolia, Emre is considered by many to be one of the most important Turkish poets. He was a contemporary of Rumi, who lived in the same region. While Rumi composed his collection of stories and songs for urban circle of Sufis, writing primarily in the literary language of Persian; Yunus Emre, on the other hand, traveled and taught among the rural poor, singing his songs in the Turkish language of the common people. His poetry expresses a deep personal mysticism and humanism and love for God.

Baba Sheikh Farid (1173 - 1266)
was a Sufi saint from Multan, Pakistan, who is considered by many to be the first major poet of the Punjabi language. Later, when the Sikh holy book the Adi Granth Sahib was compiled, many of Baba Sheikh Farid's poems and couplets were included.

Seyh Galib (1757 - 1799)
was born in Istanbul and was a sheikh of the Mevlevi order. He is considered to be the last of the great classical Ottoman poets.

Mirza Ghalib (1797 - 1869)
is the pen name of Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan, Indian poet of Turkish ancestry. His best poems were written in Urdu and are still widely sung.

Hafiz (1320 - 1389)
whose given name was Shams-ud-din Muhammad, is the most beloved poet of Persia. Born in Shiraz, he lived at about one hundred years after Rumi. When he died he was thought to have written an estimated 5,000 poems, of which 500 to 700 have survived. His Divan (collected poems) is a classic in the literature of Sufism.

Mansur al-Hallaj (9th Century)
was born in the province of Fars, Persia (Iran). He later moved to what is now Iraq, where he took up religious studies, particularly the Sufi way. He is one of the more controversial figures of Sufism. Considered by many to be a great poet-saint, he was executed for blasphemy.

Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (1165 - 1240)
born in Murcia, in Moorish Spain, Ibn 'Arabi is considered by many to be the greatest Sufi philosopher. Among his many writings, perhaps his most influential philosophical works are Spiritual Conquests (al Futuhat al Makkiya) and Facets of Wisdom (al Fusus al Hikam).

Umar Ibn al-Farid (1181 - 1235)
The poetry of Shaykh Umar Ibn al-Farid is considered by many to be the pinnacle of Arabic mystical verse, though suprisingly he is not widely known in the West. Ibn al-Farid's two materpieces are The Wine Ode, a beautiful meditation on the "wine" of divine bliss, and The Poem of the Sufi Way, a profound exploration of spiritual experience along the Sufi Path and perhaps the longest mystical poem composed in Arabic. Ibn al-Farid's Poem of the Sufi Way refers to the Beloved - God - as "Her," rather than in the more traditional masculine gender which was a revolutionary vision in his contemporary time.

Ibn Ata' Illah (1250 - 1309)
was a Sufi saint and was an early spiritual leader of the Shadhiliyyah Sufi order in Egypt. His Kitab al-Hikam (The Book of Aphorisms) is his most widely read and memorized work, a rich, poetic collection of spiritual maxims composed in majestic Arabic.

Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877 - 1938)
was born in what now is Pakistan, is considered one of the finest poet from Indian subcontinent.

Fakhruddin Iraqi (? - 1289)
born in Kamajan near Hamadan, was a fascinating figure who bridged several Sufi traditions. His own masterpiece of commentary and poetry named the Lama'at or Divine Flashes.

Ahmad Jami (1048 - 1141)
was born in Namaq and later settled and also buried in Jam (near the present-day Afghan border).

Kabir (15th Century)
was born in Varanasi (Benares), India. Kabir can not easily be categorized as a Sufi or a Yogi - he is all of these. He is revered by Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. He stands as a unique, saintly, yet very human, bridge between the great traditions that live in India.

Baba Afzal Kashani (13th Century)
was a respected Sufi philosopher and poet who lived in the Kashan region of Persia (Iran). The popular image of him is as an ecstatic and his mystic poetry is celebrated today for that reason.

Omar Khayyam (11th Century)
was best known in his time as a mathematician and astronomer. As a poet his masterpiece is the Rubaiyat.

Najmoddin Kobra (1145 - 1221)
he became a disciple of Abu JaJib Sohrawardi's disciple Ruzbehan al-Wazzan al-Mesri. Najmoddin himself became a great Sufi shaykh and founded the Kobrawi order.

Niffari (? - 965)
is considered to be an early sufi. Niffari's Book of Standings (Kitab al-Mawaqif) is a fascinating collection of visionary poems.

Qushayri (? - 1074)
is from Nishapur in what is today Iran. His "Risala ila al-sufiyya" or "Epistle to the Sufis" is so widely read in Sufi circles that it is often called the "Treatise of Qushayri" or simply "Treatise," no other name required.

Jelaluddin Rumi (1207 - 1273)
was born in Balkh, in what is now Afghanistan. Rumi's most extensive work is Diwan-i Shams-i Tabrizi. His most famous work is without doubt the Mathnawi, dubbed by Jami as the "Koran of the Persian language". Another major poetical work of Rumi is the Ruba'iyyat.

Saadi (1207 - 1291)
was born and died in Shiraz, Persia. Two best known works are the Bustan (the Garden), composed entirely in verse, and the Gulistan (the Rose Garden), in both prose and verse. He was particularly known for the wry wit he injected into his poems.

Hakim Sanai (1044? - 1150?)
is one of the earlier Sufi poets. He was born in the province of Ghazna in southern Afghanistan. Rumi acknowledged Sanai and Attar as his two primary inspirations, saying, "Attar is the soul and Sanai its two eyes, I came after Sanai and Attar."

Mahmud Shabistari (1250? - 1340)
lived in Persia (Iran). Shabistari's Secret Rose Garden (the Gulistan-i Raz, which can also be translated as The Rose Garden of Mystery) is considered to be one of the greatest works of Persian Sufism. In it Shabistari expresses a viewpoint of Sufi realization similar to the perspective of the great Sufi philosopher Ibn Arabi, but expressed through the rich Persian poetic tradition. The work was regarded as one of the central works of Sufism.

Sultan Valad (1240 - 1312)
was Rumi's son, his biographer, and his spiritual successor. He formally founded in the Mevlevi Order of Sufis following his father's teachings.

Other resources to explore
:: Poet Seers has a good list of classical masters in sufi poetry
:: Dr. Alan Godlas has a compiled page on Sufi Poets and Sufi Poetry
:: Poetry Chaikhana's Links on Sufi Poetry and Poets
:: Wahiduddin's Web | Living from the Heart has few poems from each of the classical sufi poets as examples of the amazing depth and variety of Sufi poetry. visit his site.
:: Study Guide for Poetry of Mystical Love Pin It Now!

Best Place to Find Your Inner Sufi | Time's Best of Asia

As part of TIME's annual look at the region's most remarkable places and experiences, it recently published a special issue on Best of Asia. Under the catogory by the name Best for the soul they recommended Tomb of Baba Shah Jamal, Lahore, Pakistan as the best place to find Your Inner Sufi. I quote from the article:

A grave may seem an unlikely setting for a celebration, but every Thursday night the derelict tomb of Baba Shah Jamal in Lahore, Pakistan, attracts those seeking spiritual ecstasy through dancing, drumming and-in some cases-hashish. Shah Jamal, a 16th century Sufi saint, used drums and ecstatic dancing to spread his faith throughout Pakistan (he would have deemed the drugs unnecessary) and devotees have been upholding the tradition for more than 300 years. Today, the ministry is carried on by Pappu Sain and his two students, Gonga and Mithu Sain—resident holy men at Shah Jamal's tomb, which is also a shrine.

Pappu Sain is a virtuoso of the dhol, the traditional Punjabi drum, and his performances are legendary. He has appeared in concert halls across South Asia and Europe, but his most rapturous drumming is often before his home crowd, which cares nothing for stadium acoustics. The open air, the close quarters (the dancing crowd forms one churning, swaying body) and the sinuous rhythms render the experience otherworldly. Performers and devotees enter trance like states and those who have room to move surge to their feet, hands upraised, to start spinning in tight circles. Old bearded men with metal canisters on their backs spray the crowd with cooling rose water, but usually there is no real respite until dawn.

Not a Sufi? You will be one tonight.

- by Aryn Baker. Read the article here.

Reference:
Best of Asia | Time
Image Credit: Yasuo Osakabe's photo blog / Jumeraat -Thursday night
[>] Youtube video of Abida Parveen's song shot at tomb of Shah Jamal Pin It Now!

Hanged Poems of Kaaba

The Kaaba (Ka'ba) is the holiest place in Islam and it is the symbolic locus of the faithfuls around the world for their prayer to One God. It is believed that Kaaba is related with the Abrahamic tradition, who rebuilt the house for worshiping the Creator and introduced the rite of pilgrimage to the Kaaba. Originaly it is believed that Kaaba was built by Adam. Thus even before the rise of Islam it was revered as a sacred sanctuary and was a site of pilgrimage.

About Hanged Poems of Kaba, i quote from The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, volume V, Ancient Arabia - translated by F. E. Johnson, with revisions by Sheikh Faiz-ullah-bhai.

Arabic literature in the written form, the only form in which it can be permanently preserved, does not begin until the sixth century of our own era, the century just before Mohammed.

During this period there were several of the tribal poets so valued, that the idea was formed of honoring them by hanging copies of their best poems in the chief religious shrine of Arabia, the building called the Kaaba at Mecca. So the Arabic literature which we know to-day begins with these "hanged" poems.

There were seven of these celebrated poems, each by a different poet. Among them all, the poet probably earliest in date is Imru-ul-Quais. A poet among the seven who is even more noteworthy is Antar, or Antarah. If we pause for yet another of the "hanged" poets, it must be for Zuhair, who is credited with beginning the philosophical and religious writings of his nation. Zuhair was among the latest of the "hanged" poets and so nearly contemporary with Mohammed that the two are said to have met. ... Read on the text from here.

Also check:
Arabic Poetry
The Ka’abah And The Abrahamic Tradition
Poetry and Elegant Prose

Related Post:
Poetry & Islam | Concept & Context
Prophet Muhammad and Poetry appreciation Pin It Now!

Hasten, O Lover, write those verses now

Muji Fountain Pen Nib
Originally uploaded by niblog.

To write verses on You,
I realized, one needs the Mind
Without it, I am incapable

The Heart speaks in silence;
it knows how to sigh
And the hand knows not what to inscribe
Ah, what plight!
To describe you now is like
lighting candles before moonlight

Be vary, Lover
Write those verses now
There will come a day
When the ink will refuse to flow

Be in awe, admire, dream, desire right now
This chance comes but once
And once attempted
It leaves nothing to be described.
To be with Him,
You will have to Die.

Tell me, the one who has Died
Does he write poetry anymore?!

Hasten, O Lover, write those verses now.


- Ava Pin It Now!

Poetry & Islam | Concept & Context

In Greek language poet means a “seer” and Arabic word “shair” means the man of consciousness and wisdom. Hence it can be said that poets are the sensitive people with higher senses and sensibilities. William Wordsworth says that poetry is intermittent inspiration and overflow of powerful emotions expressed in tranquility.

God has created Prophets, poets and philosophers. No one can make them in factories, workshops and academies. Poets are born poets. Then why there is a general consensus that the Quran has condemned poets and poetry is something to be despised or rejected. Many people ask me about poetry. They pose the same traditional question which the dry priests tell them. Poetry is prohibited in the Quran. Is it? Let us briefly shed light on this subject.

First of all we must understand that out of context we can never arrive at our destination. The Quran should be read and understood in totality of its message and spirit. Its verses are local and universal. Some verses are in local environments but leave universal and eternal message. Similar is the case with the Quranic verses revealed about poets.

There are two main verses dealing with the subject of poets. In Sura Yasin in verse 69 the Quran says: “We have not instructed the (Prophet) in poetry, not is it meet for him; this is no less than a message and a Quran making things clear.” Why this verse was revealed to the Prophet?

Simply because the Quranic idiom, language and style are so unique that none can excel it. It is neither poetry nor prose. Its lucid, lyrical and mellifluous style is not less than any miracle. The heretics regarded this rhythmic and musical idiom of the Quran as poetry and magic. The infidels leveled three false charges against the Prophet.

They said; he is a magician; he is a poet; he is a madman; he is an epileptic. God negates their accusations and in Sura Najm by saying; “By the star when it goes down, your companion is neither astray nor being mislead. Nor does he say (anything) of (his own) desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him. He was taught by one Mighty in Power, endued with wisdom.”

These verses of Sura Yasin (Yaseen) and Sura Najm clearly exhibit the truth that God rejected the claim of the infidels who regarded the Quran as the book of poetry and Prophet Mohammad as a poet. The poets in general are not condemned in Sura Yasin. It is an apt reply to the infidels that the Quran is a message from God with a serious mission and motto.

During the life time of the Prophet the Arabs were known for their poetic eloquence and excellence. They named all non-Arabs as “Ajamy” which means the dumb. The Arabs were much proud of their poetry and oratory. They used to challenge others in the matters of eloquence.

IT is the way of God that He conferred special miraculous powers to different prophets as required by time. During the time of David the work of smithy was in boom. God gave the power of melting iron by hand to David. It was a miracle. The necromancy and sorcery were at height in the period of Moses. God gave him a staff which showed miracles. It devoured the snakes of the magicians and also parted the sea in to two making route for his men. In the time of Jesus Christ the people were expert in treating the patients through herbs and through spiritual incantations. God gave miraculous power to Jesus to spiritually treat the lepers and the blind. He even raised the dead in to life.

Similarly during the period of Prophet Mohammad the poets used to paste or hang their writings on the walls of Kaaba and prove their excellence. “Saba Moalleqat” were very much popular writings hung on the walls of Kaaba. Each year there was a poetry contest at Mecca in which great poets from all over Arabia used to participate. Under such circumstances the Prophet also hung the Sura Al-Kausar on the wall of Kaaba.

A man of letters after reading the Sura Al-Kausar wrote underneath: “This is not the word of man.” This was the reason that the heretics out of shear jealousy, heresy and infidelity called the Prophet a poet which was defied by God. “The poets” is full chapter in the Quran. In it God says; “And the poets, - it is those straying in evil, who follow them; don’t you see that they wander distracted in every valley? And that they say what they do not practise. Except those who believe, work righteousness, engage much in the remembrance of Allah, and defend themselves only after they are unjustly attacked.”

These verses divide poets in to two classes. The evil ones and the righteous ones. The poets who spread evil are condemned. The poets who preach nobility are praised. Here one question arises. Is it only for poets? Is it not for prose writers? Or is it not for all humans?

If somebody preaches profanity in prose will he be appreciated? Sacrilegious ideas or deeds have to be condemned. When the Quran talks about the poets it is in local as well as in universal context. God told the people that Prophet Mohammad was not a day dreamer or idle claimer. Rather he is a Prophet, an activist and a dynamic soul with practical mission. Good and positive poetry is not condemned.

The Holy Prophet used to ask people to recite the poetry of Hazrat Abu Talib. Hassan bin Sabit used to recite “Naat” in the presence of the Prophet. Hazrat Ali was a poet. In Muslim literature the spiritual and didactic poetry of Saadi, Rumi, Sanai, Attar, Amir Khusroo and Allama Iqbal has special places. In western literature the Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained of Milton; The Faerie Queen of Edmund Spenser and the Metaphysical Poems of John Donne have high place. These writers justified the ways of God to Man. They enhanced the divine mission of the prophets through their facile pen and noble spirit. Hence in the light of above brief dissertation we can profess that Islam does not oppose poetry if it is written on didactic and divine lines. (by Professor Maqsood Jafri)

:: Web Reference ::
Islamic Concept of Poetry by Professor Maqsood Jafri
The writer is an eminent speaker and scholar on Islam

Quran: The Prophet's Miracle by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Miracle's of the Quran | Harun Yahya | full book free download
Audio Lectures on Linguistic Miracles of Quran

Quranic chapters referred:
Surah Yaseen | Surah Najm | Surah As Suara | Surah Kausar

Related Post:
Prophet Muhammad and Poetry appreciation Pin It Now!

Not There | Colemank Barks translation of Rumi

There’s courage involved if you want
to become truth. There is a broken -

open place in a lover. Where are
those qualities of bravery and sharp

compassion in this group? What’s the
use of old and frozen thought? I want

a howling hurt. This is not a treasury
where gold is stored; this is for copper.

We alchemists look for talent that
can heat up and change. Lukewarm

won’t do. Half-hearted holding back,
well-enough getting by? Not here.


Translations by Coleman Barks | The Soul of Rumi
Chapter 22. Pilgrim notes: Chance Meetings, Dignity and Purpose
image credit

:: posted with permission from Coleman Barks as entry to Sufi Poetry Carnival Pin It Now!

Prophet Muhammad and Poetry appreciation

There has long been a great tradition of spiritual poetry in the world of Islam. From the time of the Blessed Prophet Muhammad, when his companions used to recite poetry with his approval, until our present day, Muslims have sought to discover the truth of the maxim, "In some poetry there is wisdom." - Prophet Muhammad.

And look what has been contributed in terms of spiritual wisdom and truth of the reality by the famous muslims poets such as Jalaluddin Rumi, Hafiz, Amir Khusroo, Allama Iqbal, Jami, Attar, Omar Khayyam, Iraqi, Ibn Arabi, Mahmud Shabistari, Al Hallaj, Yunus Emre, Saadi and so many! They have given birth to the finest forms of poetry in human history.

"God is beautiful and He loves beauty." proclaimed the holy Prophet Muhammad. Fine Poetry is the expression of beauty in beautiful manner.

In his article titled, Singing Rhymes and Poems by Adil Salahi published in Arab news mentions:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) appreciated poetry, and admired fine poetry that steered away from exaggeration and self- indulgence. It is only to be expected that someone like the Prophet, who had a fine style that fully expressed the intended meaning in a short statement, should appreciate poetry and be moved by fine expression.

Commenting on a contemporary poet of his time by the name Labeed, the Prophet said “The most truthful word said by a poet is Labeed’s: ‘Indeed everything other than God is false.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi.)

Labeed was a fine poet who achieved wide fame in pre-Islamic days, with one of his better poems being posted inside the Kaabah. Only poems of the best order earned this honor. Indeed, only ten poems were so posted. That Labeed’s poem earned that privilege was testimony of his excellence. Labeed was still alive at the advent of Islam and he soon embraced the new faith and was a good Muslim. Indeed Umar ibn Al-Khattab sent him to Kufah in Iraq to educate people there about Islam.

But the Prophet did not allow poetry that indulged in superlatives to be recited in his presence, particularly if it conflicted with Islamic values. Al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh reports: “The Prophet visited me on the night of my wedding, sitting not far from me. We had a number of maids playing the tambourine and singing poems in praise of my people who were killed in the Battle of Badr. One of them said in her singing: ‘Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen in future.’ The Prophet said to her: ‘Do not repeat this, but continue with what you were saying earlier.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Ahmad and Abu Dawood.)

... because he did not like to be personally praised in front of an audience. The occasion was a wedding, when many people are present with girls singing and people enjoying themselves. He felt it inappropriate that he should be personally praised on such an occasion. He was very modest indeed. read the full article here.

// From another article by Adil Salahi, Appreciating Fine Poetry:

It is often suggested that Islam does not approve of poetry. This is due to two Qur’anic verses ... (details here) ... but this is no condemnation of poets or poetry.

But the Prophet also appreciated poetry that often expressed human wisdom, even when such poetry was by a non-Muslim poet. Amr ibn Al-Sharid mentions a report by his father who says: “I was riding behind the Prophet on the same mount when the Prophet asked me: ‘Do you memorize any poetry by Umayyah ibn Abi Al-Salt?’ When I answered in the affirmative, he asked me to recite. I quoted one line, and he asked for more. He kept asking for more until I had recited one hundred lines.” (Related by Muslim, Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.)

It should be mentioned that Umayyah ibn Abi Al-Salt was a pre-Islamic poet who included much wisdom in his poetry. Much of what he said is universally acceptable as he extolled moral values and enshrined ideals of justice, freedom, courage and truth.

When the Prophet’s companions were doing together something of importance, or facing danger, they might chant some poetry to express their unity of purpose. This is something common to all people, as we see the fans chanting support to their team during a match. One of the more difficult times the Prophet’s companions went through was when the Arab unbelievers colluded with the Jews and marched toward Madinah, pledged to annihilate Islam altogether.

The Prophet ordered a moat to be dug outside Madinah, to deny the attacking army easy entry. The Prophet shared in digging it like everyone else, because the digging had to be completed within a short period of time. As they were engaged in this great effort, the Prophet’s companions chanted a rhyme saying: “Had it not been for God’s grace, we would not have known His guidance, and we would have neither given charity nor prayed. Our Lord! Grant us serenity in this difficult time, and steady our footsteps should we engage our enemy in battle. It is the other party that is the aggressor; but we will never yield to their persecution.” As they repeated this rhyme, the Prophet would raise his voice twice repeating its last word, abayna, which means “we will never yield.”

But this was not the only rhyme the Prophet’s companions chanted as they were digging the moat. Another one repeated particularly by the Ansar may be translated as follows: “We are the ones who have given firm pledges to Muhammad that we will strive for God’s cause as long as we live.” The Prophet answered them with rhyming phrases, but not in prose, saying: “The only true life is that of the hereafter. My Lord, grant your bounty to the Ansar and the Muhajireen.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Ahmad.) credit

Pin It Now!

From Nature to God

Look deeply into nature, and you will not fail to observe the signature of the Divine written all over it.

Nothing is more visible than the Real
He is hidden only to the eyeless.
- Misri

The effusion of the Real on the cosmos
Is uniform - if you understand
All these things that are visible
Are One Face - if you understand ...

To see the Face of the Real
The eye (of the heart) of Man is required
On this mirror, the cosmos
is a peck of dust - if you understand.
- Sheikh Ibrahim

What appears to you as the world
Is, in reality God
God is One, to this I swear
Do not think He is several.
- Ghaybi

This is not patheism. As Ghaybi explains:

Love is the Essence of the Real
The cosmos is His Attributes.

Nature is not God. It is the manifestation of God, neither Him nor wholly separate from Him. As sufi master explains: "God is in each particle, but each particle is not God".

... God fashions the ten zillion things down to the smallest quark. He is within the smallest, yet He is greater than the greatest. ... God is present everywhere and sees all things.

Say not two, know not two, call not on two! ...
One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I call.
- Rumi


-excerpts from THE BLACK PEARL by Henry Bayman
a highly recommended book for those interested to see the inter-connection of underlying oneness of spirituality in Eastern, Far Eastern Philosophy and Sufism. Pin It Now!

La ilaha illa-Allah and Advaita | Supreme Oneness

the most profoundly revered sacred formula: La ilaha illa-Allah (also can be written as La ilaha illallah) in exoteric interpretation means: there is no god but One God.

that is for bringing the whole of humanity into oneness and to remove all differences. differences in the name of God has to be removed, that was the goal of this message in all ages. an expression to say to all of humanity that whatever name and form you are calling God, the Essence is One.

in esoteric meaning, the sacred formula contains the Secret of Secrets. Then it reveals something truly surreal, something which by the very nature of phenomenal world makes it very hard to realize. it's something which endless sages after sages came to realisation; some after spending a whole life time, some after forty years of retreat, some after very diligent spiritual practice and scholarship. yet they all understood this.

and that meaning is profound yet simple:

there is nothing but God
there is no thing but God
there is not-a-thing but God

there is no duality but Supreme Unity
there exists no duality but Oneness

this is the ultimate teaching of all sacred path and faith, including that of great teaching of Advaita (not two or many but One, non-Dual) of Vedanta in Hinduism. you look at the teachings of Buddha, you will find all he was working on the 'nothing' part of it. you look at the christian cross and you will find the cancelling out of the little 'i', the self. that's cancelling out the exact root of duality. only after the supreme realization of this secret Jesus could proclaim, 'i and father are One'.

in Quran even after so much emphasis on Oneness, God calls Himself We, why?!
esotericaly this is because everything is His Essence. This 'everything' and 'We' is His, is nothing but He.

wheversoever you turn you see the Face of God.

the sacred formula holds this Ultimate Secret, that is why Prophet Muhammad said that on one side of the Divine scale if you put this sacred formula and on the other side everything that is in the creation, yet La ilaha illaAllah will weigh more in terms of what it beholds inside of it.

More to explore:
Meaning of Non Duality
Sufi Esoterics: The meanings of La ilaha illa 'llah
Avaita Vedanta
Tahlil - lâ ilâha illâ allâh Pin It Now!

Truth has many paths

A brilliant Theologian once said that truth can be revealed in many different ways.

Only stupid people would believe that truth has a single path alone. I believe Jesus Christ not because he was foretold before his birth, he came and died, performed miracles, healed the sick and raised the dead - those are petty magic tricks which could be done to ancient people - masses. What makes me impressed about him is how he LOVED everyone PERIOD.

I'm sure, Jesus would have kissed the cheeks of Buddha or Krishna or Muhammad once they see each other - not because of accepting their superiority but because a TEACHER of MORALS and ENLIGHTENMENT would love to hang out with people who teaches the same thing.

Know your God beyond the scriptures, for it would give you wisdom bigger than a book.

- from an exchange of thoughts @ Pinoy Exchange by Trippy. / image credit

Through doubt, the people are being destroyed. One who recognizes that all spiritual paths lead to the One shall be emancipated. One who speaks lies shall fall into hell and burn. In the entire world, the most blessed and sanctified are those who remain absorbed in Truth. One who eliminates selfishness and conceit is redeemed in the Court of the Lord. -Sikhism

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. - John 17:20-21

"By the declining day, Lo! man is in a state of loss, Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance." - Quran 103:1-3

:: Related Post
1. Tale of a wonderful book, parallel sayings of Jesus & Buddha
2. Buddha never bowed before a statue, and Jesus never kneeled before a cross Pin It Now!

Poetics of Sohbet

1.
. Making room for the One

Three kettles of tea,
shared by our seven souls.

From Isha to zikr,
then sohbet to Fajr.

Nights without sleeping,
Evenings knowing Love.

Only then did we all leave,
making room for the One!


2.
. Sohbet of the four Levels

Reality of Surah Wal-'Ars,
Leaving our limitedness,
Learning His Truth,
Living Oneness.


- by Anonymous Pin It Now!

Sohbet (spiritual conversation) | Sherif Baba

Sohbet is spiritual conversation from an enlightened soul. In the practice of sohbet, teachings are transmitted from teacher to students through storytelling, presence, and sacred space. A sohbet can encompass the physical and mundane or the metaphysical and sublime.

The English language is often inedequate when it comes to describing spiritual states of mind. Sohbet, in Sufism, is a spiritual transaction between teacher and student which relies on ancient oral storytelling traditions and practices. Mystical knowledge and Devotional Love is transmitted during Sohbet in such a way that it attempts to circumvent the knots of the rational mind and connect the hearts of the seekers. Sohbet can be undersood as a spiritual dialogue, a cleansing of the soul and a meeting of the hearts. From the metaphysical to the very physical, Sohbets help us reflect on the events of our everyday lives and guide us in our search for a sense of unity and security.
- Garden of the Sufis, Sohbet

The Sufis employ the use of several practices to awaken one’s true nature. Sufi teacher Sherif Baba has webcast on his site which is more like a mystical conversation and you can listen wherever you are. Sufism is nondogmatic and people of all faiths are welcome.

CLICK here to visit the page of webcast sohbet of Sherif Baba. in the page click on the button 'babacast' to play the sohbet. look out for pop-up blocker, the file may run in a pop-up window & you may need real player.

About Sherif Baba | Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Sherif Baba (born 1944) came to the United States in 1991 and since 1993 has been living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where the Rifa'i Maruf'i Order of America and the Universal Center of Light is based. Sherif Baba received intensive education in Sufism in the Nakshibendi, Halveti, Kadiri, Bektashi, Melami, and Rifa'i Maruf'i Order from which he received his Idjazet or 'certificate of teaching' in Manisa, Turkey. May God reward him greatly for his devoted work.

:: Web Resources
Rifa'i Marufi Order of America | Sherif Baba
Universal Center of Light
Rifai Marufi Sufi Order Pin It Now!

ways of relating to the Divine and sohbet

Sometimes the Sufis say that there are three ways of relating to the divine.

One is prayer.

A step up from that is meditation ...

And the step up from that is conversation or sohbet and really even says that a human being is a conversation.


- Coleman Barks in an interview @ Living Dialogues Pin It Now!

Religion without Spirituality | Spirituality without Religion

It has become quite fashionable these days to call oneself 'spiritual'. Also there is a growing trend to discard anything religious. But this is nothing but spiritual extremism. Pretending or assuming oneself overly-spiritual has its flipside. Just like any form of extremism, it is dangerous.

Religion without spirituality become only dry rituals, completely dogmatic, life-less 'follow this, follow that' and selfish actions. In our current world there is no short of example of what religiosity can become when spirituality is taken out of religion. One can become cold blooded murderer even in the name of religion, in the name of God and justifying unthinkable crime even holding a holy book of religion.

What is interesting is that Spirituality without religiousness again becomes selfish, an escape route for something called 'personal enlightenment (!)' which can be extremely ego-centric and disguised selfish pursual. Religions, no matter what religion i name, offer a codified way to life, guide us with a tangible guidance.

Religions encourage and call one to action, while only spirituality is abstract ideas, hollow talks (even though seemingly elevated talks) and can be very artificial. You can say all day 'i love God', but religions of all ages teach by & in action what to do when you wish to realize that.

If the essence of spirituality is the search to know our true selves, then know that its a life long process, and perhaps it requires many births and rebirths (only God completely knows the true mystery of our soul and its evolutionary process of merging with Truth). You don't need to pretend or become overly-spiritual, who only seeks personal enlightenment. Thats extremely self-centeredness. Just as meditation can not be forced, so is the attainment of spirituality. All you need is to be aware to life, aware to oneself.

Then what's next? Next is to serve.

Here comes the power of religion. Organized religion in all forms and tradition does a very good job aspiring the faithful into that. It gives the necessary form, lays out the foundation and organize for the individual and collective to be in the very world and to serve. To serve others. That is the way to serve the Creator, by serving the creation.

One may become 'so called spiritual' and completely ignore the extremely poor person who comes to the house as maid servant (continue to pay almost nothing for her hard work) and can spend thousands of dollars to travel to see a tomb in a far away land, or perform pilgrimage. He or she can ignore the hungy beggar kids, the homeless on the street and arrange another overseas trip abroad only to join a 'so called spiritual group'. Thats so nonsense in the eye of Beloved, who cries at the suffering of humanity and laughs at the joyful heart of humanity.

Don't you think gladden the heart of that extremely poor of the humanity was much more important than going on so called spiritual travel (another escape route for selfish luxury)?

What is Spirituality, by the way?
. Wikipedia entry has some light shed on it.
. Sri Chinmoy on Spiritual Life
. What is spirituality via Spirit Now
. Definitions of spirituality

// Related Post:
:: Spiritual Materialism
:: What actions are most excellent Pin It Now!

Coleman Barks | Vision of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen and Rumi

As part of Living Dialogues, Duncan Campbell engaged with a dialogue with Coleman Barks. What's unknown to many is the connection between his work on Rumi and the vision of his teacher Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, whom even Coleman never met prior to the dream. Manifesting in dream of disciple of the master is something which is well documented in sufi experience and literature, but coming from a westerner of our time is something worth noting. It testifies the fact that the esoteric dimensions keeps manifesting in all ages when appropriate. read this extra-ordinary experience from Coleman himself.

Duncan Campbell: One of the things that I thought might be of interest to our listeners is to tell the story perhaps, for openers as to how you came to Rumi's poetry.

Coleman Barks: Well, I've told that story in several places. And it's got at least three strands to it ...

... I had this dream in which I was sleeping by the Tennessee River. That's where I grew up outside Chattanooga.

And in the dream a ball of light rose off of Williams Island. And I woke up inside the dream. It was one of those lucid moments when I was awake, and yet I was still asleep in the dream but I had woken up inside the dream. And this ball of light came over and clarified from the inside out. A man was sitting inside the ball of light. He raised his head and he said, “I love you.” And I said, “I love you too.”

And the whole landscape then felt drenched with dew. And the dew and the wetness was love. And somehow, that was all there was to the dream, but it felt like something got settled there.

And then about a year and a half after that I was traveling up north to do some poetry readings. I stopped in and met Jonathan Granoff. He took me to see his teacher there in Philadelphia. It was Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. And he was the man in the dream, who was sitting there in a ball of light.

There's no way that I can prove that happened except to myself. It did happen. And I was there inside the dream and I met him. And he would come to me and teach me things in dream. And then I would go up to Philadelphia and I would tell him the dream. And he would just wave me on like, “I was there. You don't need to tell me the dream. What do you want to know?”

He told me to do this Rumi work. He said it had to be done. So that is the only credential that I have for working on the words of this great enlightened being is that I was in the presence for nine years, on and off, four or five times a year visiting this man, who also spontaneously sang songs and praise of existence.

So that's the main strand of that connects me with Rumi. When I work on these poems I think it is that I am strengthening the friendship with my teacher. (quoted from the transcript of an audio interview with Coleman Barks discussing the "Soul of Rumi". read full interview here)

About Coleman Barks / Coleman Barks' versions of Rumi have proved to be remarkably popular making Rumi into one of America's best selling poets. Many consider that this unprecedented interest in the poetry of Rumi is primarily due to Barks' translations, including “The Soul of Rumi” and “Rumi: The Book of Love”, and the anthology "The Essential Rumi". Guernica Magazine also published another interview of Coleman Barks.

About Bawa Muhaiyaddeen / M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was a revered Sufi saint from the island of Sri Lanka who shared his knowledge and experience with people of every race and religion and from all parts of the world. He belonged to the Qadri order of sufism. He first came to the United States in 1971 and established The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship of North America in Philadelphia. He passed away in 1986. may God sanctify his secret and bless his soul.

Pin It Now!

Inspiring quotes | life and change

In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors. - William Blake

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature. Life is either a grand adventure or nothing .... - Helen Keller

If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. - Thomas Alva Edison

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable. - Helen Keller

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

credit Pin It Now!

Nisbath and Lineage of Spiritual Transmission

1.

The Quran indicates one should 'enter houses by their doors' (2:189). The door of the Quran is the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, not only because he was the one through whom the Divine Revelation was transmitted to the rest of humanity, but also because he is the one whom God invested with the most knowledge concering the different levels of significance and meaning inherent in the Quran.

The door to the Prophet is love. In fact, the Prophet, himself, has said that, 'no one can complete one's faith until the Prophet becomes dearer to an individual that the person's family and all of mankind.'

The door to loving someone who loves the Prophet is 'nisbath'. Nisbath (meaning transmission) is the bond of spiritual resonance which inclines a seeker to learn from a given servant of God, while simultaenously inclining that servant of God to teach the seeker who manifests signs of such nisbath.

The door to nisbath is adab or spiritual etiquetee.

The door to adab is initiation into a silsilah or 'lineage of spiritual transmission' at the hand of an authentic living locus of manifestation through which such transmission is given expression.

- from Reality Without a Name by Bill Whitehouse

The Book, Reality without a Name is a critical examination of a variety of themes and principles that are of relevance to exploring the Sufi mystical path. It uses Sufism: A Short Introduction by Professor William C. Chittick as a case study. read details here.

2.
A hint of spiritual lineage given by the Prophet when he mentioned about Ali, "I am the city of knowledge and 'Ali is the gate", to whom (almost) all sufi orders trace back their lineage and then finally to Prophet, ArchAngel Gabriel and The Ultimage Source, God.

Taking hand is the initiation into the way of spiritual transmission. From spiritual master's hand it extends to Prophet and to God. "The Hand of God is above their hands" - (The Quran 48:10)

3.
A seeker on the path visits a true Master and asks him about various spiritual methods. The sage replies: "Do not fear- they all belong to us! Yet you are like one who earnestly tills the soil, waiting for a shoot to grow. Then you wait for the shoot to become a tree. Then the tree must blossom. Then only finally it yield fruit.

Whereas I (and here he reaches out his hand towards the seeker), I am offering you fresh fruit - all you have to do is eat!" - The Black Pearl by Henry Bayman

Pin It Now!

Divine Love | Sufi Essence: Stages of Love

The pen faces difficulties or even fails when trying to describe love. As you know steps can be seen leading up to the ocean, but what happens then? The well-known Chishti Sufi Khwaja Nasiruddin Cheragh (the “lamp”) of Delhi, who was the successor of Nizamuddin Awliya has described the indescribable. He not only described ten stages and fifty phases of love, but he also experienced them.

i am only taking the essence of 10 stages, each of which has 5 phases so to speak. for elaboration pls read the from the original link at the end of this post.

According to the Chishtiyya Sufis the first stage of love is olfat (friendship, attachment, familiarity, companionship, intimacy). It is another name for the inclination of the heart towards the object of love

The second stage of love is sadaaqat (true friendship, sincerity, candour, loyalty, fidelity). In this stage the heart remains unaffected by the Beloved’s fidelity or infidelity, disregards and denials, and by bestowal of favours.

The third stage of love is termed mavaddat (friendship, love, benevolence), which is marked by the excitation of the heart and passionate desire (hayajaan-e qalb o ettisaafe baa-l havaa) for the Beloved.

The fourth stage of love is styled havaa (affection; favour; love; desire). In this stage the lover is always inclined towards the Beloved or longs for Him.

The fifth stage of love is called shaghaf (violent affection, violent love; alacrity; love, longing, yearning; joy). The word has been used in Qur’an 12:30 in connection with the love affair of Zulaykha with Joseph:Qad shaghafa-haa hobbaaTruly he has inspired her with violent love.

The sixth stage of love is exclusive attachment to the Beloved. It means emptying the heart of all save the Beloved.

The seventh phase has been styled mahabbat (love, affection; friendship, esteem, benevolence). This is a sublime phase and it has been mentioned in Qur’an 5:54 thus:

Allah will certainly produce a people
Whom He will love
And they will love Him.

Love is a gift. You cannot start to love somebody. In the above Qur’anic sign the love of Allah precedes human love, the Beloved is in fact the first lover.

The eight stage is ‘eshq (pure love), which is another name of excessive and intense affection. At this stage one looses one’s reason and senses

The ninth of the Chishti stages of love is called enslavement or becoming a servant. At this stage the manacles of humiliation and submission are put around the neck of the lover whose feet are bound by the fetters of slavery.

The tenth and final stage of the Chishti stages of love is valah or bewilderment (other translations are: being sad, afflicted, distracted or impatient from love or grief; perturbation of mind). This stage is beset with tremendous dangers, consequently it has been said:

In distance there is torment
And in nearness bewilderment.

This sense can be grasped in the following words uttered by a lover:

If I see You I lose my life!
If I don’t see You, how can I live?
Confusion has come to my affair:
Should I offer my life or should I abstain from seeing You?

The Chishti stages of love show that a true lover, due to the prompting of the feeling of love, merges totally in the Beloved, effaces her or his soul and body in this love and with all energy available wants the Beloved alone. As it has been said: ‘If you seek an object and strive for it, you will find it’. You will succeed and the promise of ‘The one who seeks Me, finds Me’ is fulfilled. Ebn-e-‘Abbaas has said that God said: “I am present. Seek Me and you will find Me. If you seek anything else besides Me, you will never find Me’.

For this very reason all the eminent Sufis have regarded the path of love as the most effective approach to God. - Siraj

:: Credit: CHISHTI STAGES of LOVE
page 1, page 2, page 3

:: Chishtiyaa Yahoo group: Write about, talk about, be silent about Pin It Now!