A Few Gems from Shaykh Ahmad Sam’ani (ra)

I first encountered Shaykh Ahmad Sam’ani’s beautiful book on the Divine Names many years ago through an article by Prof. William Chittick written as a response to comments by Pope John Paul II that the God of Islam was distant and unloving (not his exact words). This is a common criticism/misunderstanding of many Christians who [...]

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Love for You Took Away My Rosary

Love for you took away my rosary and gave verses and songs; I
cried “No strength (save with God)” and repented oft, but my
heart did not heed.
At Love’s hand I became a singer of odes, hand-clapping; love
for you consumed reputation and shame and all that I possessed.
Once I was chaste and self-denying and firm-footed as a
mountain; [...]

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Mander on the Homogenization of Global Consciousness

“One of the main goals of economic globalization is that every place on earth should be more or less like every other place. Whether it’s the US, Europe, or once-distant places like Asia, Africa, or South America, all countries are meant to develop the same way. The same franchise fast food, the same films and [...]

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Behind the Face of Anger

When you see the face of anger
look behind it
and you will see the face of pride.
Bring anger and pride
under your feet, turn them into a ladder
and climb higher.
There is no peace until you become
their master.
Let go of anger, it may taste sweet
but it kills.
Don’t become its victim
you need humility to climb to freedom.
– Ghazal (Ode) [...]

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Remembering Shahab Sahib (ra)

Found this post about Hz Shahab (ra) today. It gives some background and has some pictures from the Shahab Nama. If you’ve wanted background information about Shahab sahib, you’re in luck. Take a look here.

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Sayyidna Shaykh Abdal Qadir Jilani (ra) Pt 3

Final part of the reminder of  the great Shaykh’s teachings:
The Shaykh (may God be pleased with him) said: Proper behavior [husn al-adab] is called for in two instances: in the renunciation of this world and in the acceptance of it. You must not go into seclusion with ignorance for company. Do not make a practice [...]

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Sayyidna Shaykh Abdal Qadir Jilani (ra) pt 2

It was in the schoolhouse, in the late evening of Tuesday, the 19th of Shawwal, A.H. 545, that the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) said:
The pious pretender [mura'i] wears clean clothes, but his heart is filthy. He abstains from permissible things, and is too lazy to earn a livelihood. He eats off [...]

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Wean Yourself!

“Wean Yourself”
Little by little, wean yourself.
This is the gist of what I have to say.
From an embryo, whose nourishment
comes in the blood,
move to an infant drinking milk,
to a child on solid food,
to a searcher after wisdom
to a hunter of more invisible game.
Think how it is to have a conversation with an embryo.
You might say, “The [...]

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The Qazwani and His Lion

Here’s one of my favourite anecdotes from the Masnavi:
Hear from the narrator this story about the way and custom
of the people of Qazwin.
They tattoo themselves in blue with the point of a
needle on body and hand and shoulders, so as to suffer no
injury.
A certain man of Qazwin went to a barber and said, “Tattoo
me (and) [...]

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Turning Towards The Heart

“Turning towards the Heart” is a phrase which may be said to sum up the elan of the Sufi Path. This  is also the title of this admirable book expressing the teachings of the very recent shaykh Hz Azad Rasool, founder of the School of Sufi Teaching. The book is in a question and answer [...]

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