Stray Reflections

If you have lost heart in the Path of Love,
Flee to me without delay: I am a fortress Invincible.

September 30th is the birthday of Hz Mawlana Rumi. The excellent Darvish blog has a nice reminder too. Here’s a poem form the Diwan Shams-e-Tabrizi which offers an insight into the secret of Mawlana’s popularity.

Shall I tell you our secret?
We are charming thieves who steal hearts
and never fail because we are
the friends of the One.
The time for old preaching is over
we aim straight at the heart.
If the mind tries to sneak in and take over
we will string it up without delay.
We turn poison into medicine
and our sorrows into blessings.
All that was familiar,
our loved ones and ourselves
we had to leave behind.

Blessed is the poem that comes through me
but not of me because the sound of my own music
will drown the song of Love.

– Ghazal (Ode) 424
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi

As far as lack of attentiveness or stray thoughts in prayer is concerned one should endeavor to identify whether these are the result of our “continued thinking to ourself” or just incoming automatic thoughts. Those thoughts that we bring to mind ourselves can also be stopped by an act of will. An easy way of doing this is to focus upon the meaning of the words one is saying or focus on the image of the Kaaba, for the heart can only focus on one thing at a time. The moment we focus we are delivered from inattentiveness and stray thinking.

As for those  random incoming thoughts the best way to deal with them is not to pay any attention to them at all. Rather one should allow them to pass through like water passes through a sieve. It is worth remembering that consciously trying to rid oneself of these wasawas (whisperings) is itself a waswasa. This is a mental quicksand in which one can easily get stuck. One should never lose hope due to being afflicted with such automated whisperings in the prayer. The human heart is rather like a super-highway: royal carriages pass on it as well as poor wayfarers, the handsome as well as the ugly, the religious and the irreligious and the pure hearted as well as the sinful. Safety lies is allowing whatever type of traffic comes of its own accord to simply pass through for there is no red light on this highway. If one attempts to stop the flow of traffic or change its direction one is likely to cause an accident.

Even apart from prayer times the secret of life lies in keeping the heart free of worldly distractions. It is alright for one’s hand to possess the world but not one’s heart for that is a place reserved for God. Therefore one should be careful to keep it clear at all times, who knows when the light and grace of God might alight there.

…..one of the other qualities of the prayer that impressed me was that whereas to gain access to worldly officials, landlords and rulers one has to cross a series of hurdles and use various means such as go-betweens; to gain access to the Lord of the Worlds and the Ruler of Rulers one has only to make wudu…..no permission if required….no guards there to prevent one… and there is nothing/no one to come between the Lord and His servant except one’s own nafs.

Therefore after struggling with my laziness and heedlessness I managed to start saying the prayer. However it seemed like a mere formality…though I tried to keep my intention correct. I consoled myself with the thought that if at first one cannot attain real steadfastness in the actions at least if one keeps at it then this is a form of steadfastness too, though imperfect. The other thing that bothered me at that time was that one cannot remain attentive during the prayer. All types of thoughts assail one in the prayer and one begins to think: Is there any point with such a prayer? Gradually I understood that when building a monument the primary concern at the early stages is to secure the foundation often with ugly pieces of stone and concrete; one doesn’t worry about beautification. Afterwards the most beautiful structures are erected on this basis. Thus it is with imperfect actions; they provide the foundation for perfection.

Secondly I realized that for a negligent person such as myself even if I could just imitate the perfected ones, it would still be a blessing. In the courts of kings even the jester who apes others is rewarded and sometimes even more than those he apes. So even though one’s  prayer be imperfect one should have hope that the King may yet reward it.

( to be cont)

My intellectual and emotional attachment to Islam is the result of a few turns of good fortune. My first piece of good fortune was that I was born into a muslim family. My second instance of good fortune was that whilst in the third grade of Akbar Islamia High School in Jammu (Kashmir), our teacher for Islamic studies gave us some advice that has remained engraved upon my heart and mind ever since. Mawlawi sahib said:” Children! when you read the Qur’an, read with understanding. Whatever you understand believe it to be the truth word for word and literally. Do not look for metaphorical, allegorical and interpretive meanings. If you do not understand something, leave it and continue with your reading. Mawlawi sahib said that one of the miracles of the Qur’an is that with repeated readings the meanings of the Qur’an unveil themselves to the reader in accordance with his own capacity/receptivity. By all means (he said) when you grow up, do benefit from books of commentary but be careful to maintain you personal connection with God through this method of reading and understanding the Qur’an directly”.

I have tried to act upon this advice of Mawlawi sahib to the best of my ability. I cannot claim that I have understood the whole of the Qur’an. However it is certainly true that every year of the last sixty years of recitation has brought an increase in both depth and breadth of meaning in my understanding of its meanings. Rather the like the moon whose rays continue to pierce through clouds spreading their light in the darkness of the night.

The other benefit that I reaped from this advice was that my heart and mind accepts every word of the Qur’an without the slightest doubt. I have never had to have recourse to any “explaining away” or “interpretation” of its verses. To be protected in this age of modern rationalism from doubt regarding the Qur’an is something that I consider to be my third piece of good fortune.*

extract from Shahabnama by Hz QU Shahab.

* translations of extracts are not literal but very close to the original.

Our brother Green Sufi has posted a picture of Hz Qudratullah Shahab here. Shahab was well known as a civil servant and writer during his life. His autobiography Shahab Nama has become something of a modern classic. However what was not known during his life was that Shahab sahib was also an Uwaysi/Malami sufi who had kept his spiritual life hidden. The great disclosure came in the final chapter of his autobiography which was published after he had passed away. Since then there has been much debate about its truth amongst Pakistani “intellectuals”. Even his close friend Mumtaz Mufti who had been the first to draw attention to this aspect of Shahab’s personality had not been aware of the full details.

Muftiji has written a great deal about Shahab especially in the second part of his autobiography called Alakh Nagri. He observed that Shahab was a man of great intelligence with a photographic memory. Two of the dominant features of his personality were humilty and silence. He was religious but did not wear his religion on his cuff. He accepted all types of people and did not try to paint people in his own colors. He was a man of refined character who was happy to serve his fellow beings in whatever capacity he could without talking about it or making a show about it. Most importantly he never let any of his spiritual attainments surface either in words or behavior. For many Shahab sahib has been an inspiration. He has shown that even in these times a man can lead a full life “in the world” whilst remaining fully focused on the Real Purpose for which he was created.

Insha’Allah I hope to translate some passages from the last chapter of Shahab Nama which has the merit of focusing on the essential aspects of the path to God in a clear and concise manner.

If you are aware of any of your actions, that is a proof that it has not been accepted (by God). For that which is accepted is elevated and hidden from you; your not noticing it is a sign of its acceptance.

Imam Zayn al-Abedin (RA).

This is vintage Mawlana (May God sanctify his lofty secret).

The Breaking Wave of Love

Ah, once more he put a fire in me,
And once more this crazy heart
is craving the open plains.
This ocean of love breaks into another wave
And blood pours from my heart
in all directions.

Ah, one spark flew
and burned the house of my heart.
Smoke filled the sky.
The flames grew fierce in the wind.

The fire of the heart is not easily lit.
So don’t cry out: “O Lord, rescue me
from the burning flames!
Spare me from the army of thoughts
that is marching through my mind!”

O Heart of Pure Consciousness,
You are the ruler of all hearts.
After countless ages
you brought my soul
all it ever wished for.

The eyes of all people happy and sad,
are closed to the truth.
May their eyes be opened!
May they look upon God
and get drunk on His beauty.

May their hands reach toward the Truth.
May their ears hear the voice of the Beloved.
May the shadow of a Master
fall upon everyone who has devotion.

All the world praises you,
But where did this “you” come from?
All the universe is born of Love –
But where did this Love come from?

O Shams,
you are the owner of the land of life –
the light of every heart;
Even the King of Love
knows no love
that is not yours.

– Ode 881
Version by Jonathan Star

The following is an interesting poem by Hz Mawlana (RA) on fasting and its reward. It should be read in the context of the hadith: ” The fast is for me and I am its reward”. Here’s what Mawlana says:

Celebrate! The month of fasting has come.
Pleasant journey to the one
Who is the company of the fasting.

I climbed the roof to see the Moon,
Because I really missed fasting
By heart and soul.

I lost my hat while looking at the Moon.
the Sultan of fasting made me drunk.

O Muslims, I have been drunk
since that day I lost my mind.
What a beautiful fortune fasting has.
What a wonderful glory.

There is another secret moon
Besides this one.
He is hiding in the tent of fasting
Like a Turk.

Anyone who comes
To the harvest of fasting in this month
Finds the way to this Moon.

Whoever makes his face
Resemble pale satin
Wears the silk clothes of fasting.

Prayers will be accepted in this month.
Sighs of the one fasting pierce the sky.

The person who sits patiently
At the bottom of fasting’s well
Owns the love of Egypt, like Joseph.

O the word which eats the Sahur* meal,
Be silent so that anyone
Who knows fasting will enjoy fasting.

Come, O Shems, the brave one
Of whom Tebriz is proud.
You are the commander of fasting’s soldiers.

Sahur:pre-dawn meal during Ramadan.

Diwan-e-Shams-e-Tabrizi (trans by Nevit Ergin).

Ramadan: The fire of extreme desire is called Ramdh and to accept and undergo this experience for the sake of God is the period of Ramadan which is Ayyamun ma’dudat  (counted days). This is necessarily followed by “Eid ul Fitr”, which means therefore that, our pure nature (fitrat e muttahara) should sprout forth after this period too.

An-Nahl Pg 15.