I am really enjoying Sufism. I started reading “The Gift” today which is a collection of poems by Hafiz translated into English. Reading Hafiz’s work sedates me and energizes me at the same time. I feel unrest deep inside me. It’s a concentrated glow of energy right under my chest, But not quite!. I don’t understand it, since, the more i try to search for it and pinpoint exactly what is that I feel and where exactly does it physically manifest itself in my body, the more the Glow seems to travel deep within me. Its illusive. I cant explain this. How can i?. How can you translate “light” into words. How can I write down what an orange glow in my center feels like. How can I present what I can not comprehend?!!!
All I can say about this is that Sufism and its energy is inspirational. I want to know more and read some more. I want to absorb it all. I feel so lusty. I feel him when he says:
**
“Running
Through The streets
Screaming,
Throwing rocks through windows,
Using my own head to ring
Great Bells,
Pulling out my hair,
Tearing off my clothes,
Tying everything I own
To a stick,
And setting it on
Fire.
What else can Hafiz do tonight To celebrate the madness,
The joy,
Of seeing God
Everywhere!”
(“Everywhere” by Hafiz)
**
I want to cry. He has a strange command over me. I swear on my life, he speaks to me through the pages of the book. I feel his frustration when seeks the Lord and I burn in envy when he speaks of the love that fills his heart. He changes his style as he conveys his message of love, sometime he is so direct that you are blown away by the simplicity of his wisdom and some times his use of symbols forces you to admire depth of his wisdom. I shall write more but I feel I need to read some more. I’ll come back.
Instead of presenting you with an argument to convience you that every thing you see, touch and hear is a piece of Godness. I would present you with a piece that illustrates my Point.
" ** I
Have
Learned
So much from God
That I can no longer
Call
Myself
A Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim,
A Buddhist, a Jew.
The Truth has shared so much of Itself
With me
That I can no longer call myself
A man, a woman, an angel,
Or even pure
Soul.
Love has
Befriended Hafiz so completely
It has turned to ash
And freed
Me
Of every concept and image
My mind has ever known.
**
"
- ( Hafiz, I Have Learned So Much)
Sadiyaah, why do you say that ALLAH does not reside in one's heart. He (ALLAH) Himself says that HE cannot fit in this entire universe but He resides in a man's heart. Many books reflect upon this theory including so many poetries ... When Allah made Man (His viceroy) he had put His spirit in him ...it's all in Quran. It's a concept of MonoRealism... Anyway, I just had to share some of my thoughts ...
Gamma, if you are interested in Sufism you got to read Conference of Birds
Today, i was reading Rumi and i found much truth and beauty in his wisdom:
"** Every bit of the universe
is filled with wanting,
and whatever any bit wants,
wants the wanter! **"
This statement is so simple and so fundamental that we dont give it a second thought in our daily lives. What Rumi is saying is that every particle in the universe loves us. For example, If we yearn for water then the feeling is mutual, that is, water also longs to be a part of our body and soul. Every substance yearns to embrace the other in this universe.
I think the science is too materialistic. It lacks a soul. Its too hollow and mechanical. Its a sophisticated robot and not a free , untamed animal. Rumi and Hafiz reminded me that i need not be constraint with what my common sense tells me. I dont need to look at physics and biology to explain the universe. I dont need gravity, weak force and strong force to demystify universe. We dont need to rebotically search for a unifying theory that explains the whole world because RUMI already has an explination for why earth goes around the sun, or why a feather finds a piece of amber irresistable, or why iron embraces the magnet, or why the sea calls out to the moisture in our body, or why the fire seduces the heat within us asking us to play with it. We are constantly sharing energy with the particles around us. We are unconsiously in love with the universe. It is this mutual attraction that keeps the world going. Physics, Biology and Chemistry are nothing much disciplines that are trying to explain the mutual Love that everything in this Universe exhibits. Love unifies all. Love is God. Love is all.
I want to absorb this. Let me go so i can come back. I want to summerize by quoting Rumi:
"Remember what the soul wants,
because in that, eternity
is wanting our souls!"
Gamma, I really hope you weren't serious when you mentioned "
Instead of presenting you with an argument to convience you that every thing you see, touch and hear is a piece of Godness."
Having the belief that everything is part of Allah (SWT) or anything of that nature is totally incorrect, at least in the light of Ahlul Sunnah wal Jamaah. If however, you assosciate yourself with another sect, then obviously there's no room for discussion.
hiccup, my God? I may be very weak in other areas unfortunately, but Alhamdulillah I have my tawheed right.
If there's one book that I'd suggest everyone to read, it would be "Fundamentals of Tawheed" by Dr. Bilal Philips.
It is an excellent book that speaks very clearly about tawheed.
Sadiyah i feel islam should be understood through the heart . God created us and sent us here because he wants us to explore , to find ourselves. He created this universe and everything in it as a tool for us. With his omnipotence and omniscence, he is without an ego. He can be found in every grain of sand. He is the architect. Therefore, its not wrong to say that everything is a part of him and he is every where. The Allah that resides in the heavens also resides inside you. We all have a piece of the God, of the heaven, of the ultimate Good inside us.
Gama… Her’s one of Shaikh Abu-Saeed al Kher for you.
If you are prayers in Mecca and your
Heart is elsewhere,
You might as well be in an idol-worshipper’s temple.
If you heart is with the Beloved,
Spend your life in His wine shop and be merry.
[quote=“Gamma Dilation”]
He can be found in every grain of sand. He is the architect.
[QUOTE]
a) I looked at some sand 1 week ago and whilst admittedly I was not looking particularly hard, I’m pretty certain I couldn’t see Him in there anywhere.
b) I really really hope that being the architect of something doesn’t mean that you get put inside of it. I would hate to think that the remains of my apartment block’s architect are somewhere in the foundations…
